NEW research has found that one of the North-East's oldest occupations is hazardous to health.

According to the Oxford University study fishermen and merchant seafarers have by far the most dangerous jobs in Britain.

It was found that people working on the sea are up to 50 times more likely to die while working, compared those in other jobs.

Heading the research team was Dr Stephen Roberts, who analysed official death statistics from a range of different professions between 1976 and 1995.

Of 1405 deaths in British seafaring 507 were caused by accidents at work with disappearance at sea or other unexplained causes accounting for 195 deaths.

For fishermen, accidents at work caused 454 of 616 deaths.

Of fatal accidents in seafaring, drowning accounted for 251 of 507, injury 185 and asphyxiation by fumes 69.

In fishing drowning accounted for 394 of 454 deaths, with 43 caused by work related injury and 16 caused by asphyxiation.

These figures compare to rates of just 2 per 100,000 for the rest of Britain's working population.

The safest jobs, according to the study, are those in the service sector which has death rates of 0.7 per 100,000 workers.

Writing in The Lancet Dr Roberts said his study backed up previous research.

He said: "Although the number of work-related deaths has decreased in recent decades, in relative terms the occupations of fishing and seafaring remain as hazardous as before.

"If mortality rates in these occupations are to decrease, unsafe working practices, especially unnecessary operations in treacherous conditions, should be reduced."