A HEALTH chief fears the difference in life expectancy between the classes in Darlington will increase unless action is taken.

Nonnie Crawford, director of public health at Darlington Primary Care Trust, has written about her concerns in the Darlington Health Check 2003 booklet.

"If we do not address how we can help people of all ages make healthy choices, my greatest fear is that I will write a report in 2013/14 showing little has changed," she said.

She said although life expectancy across the town was increasing, it increased faster among people who tended to make healthy choices.

"Year on year people in Darlington are living longer, but if you look more closely at the figures, people in the lower socio-economic groups, although they are living longer, they are not living as much longer as the other groups, so the gap is getting wider."

She said preaching to people about healthy choices, giving up smoking, taking more exercise or cutting down on drinking, did not work.

Ms Crawford said the council was targeting services for people living in areas of greatest inequality.

"People will not take up smoking cessation sessions unless they feel ready to give up smoking themselves, so perhaps we can provide stress relief therapies, which then in turn may result in more people eventually giving up smoking," she said.

"We want everybody to increase their life expectancy through making healthy choices, but we need to target our efforts at those finding it hardest."