MEN and women in the North-East have the lowest healthy life expectancy in the country, according to official new figures.

A statistical bulletin produced by the Office for National Statistics highlights the continuing North-South divide in health life expectancy.

Men born in the North-East had a life expectancy of 77.8 years, slightly higher than the North-West, but the lowest healthy life expectancy of 59.5 years.

Women from the North-East also finished at the bottom of the pile for life expectancy - 81.6 years - and last among the English regions for healthy life expectancy – 60.1 years.

The two areas where men and women could expect to have the longest expectancy of healthy living were in Richmond upon Thames and Wokingham in the affluent South-East of England.

Men born in Richmond upon Thames could expect to enjoy a healthy living expectancy of 70 years while women born in Wokingham could expect to live healthily for 71 years.

Within the North-East Darlington men had the longest healthy life expectancy of 64 years with Northumberland just behind with 62.7.

The shortest healthy life expectancy within the region for men was in Sunderland where average healthy life expectancy is 55 years.

Women born in Darlington also had the longest healthy life expectancy in the region – 63 years - while women from Sunderland had the shortest healthy life expectancy in the region – 58.4 years.