Teesside death rate one of worst

People do generally feel a sense of community on Teesside

The death rate among people living on Teesside is one of the highest in the UK, a BBC survey has revealed.

Researchers found people there have an 11% greater chance of dying prematurely on any day, in any given month, week or year than the average Briton.

Glasgow, Merseyside and Manchester were the only other UK areas with worse statistics.

The report, commissioned by BBC Nations and Regions, looked at how communities have changed over the past 40 years.

In the UK in 2000, 27% of the population was considered breadline poor, but on Teesside it was 30%.

Sense of community

Teesside has some of the most impoverished areas in the UK. In east Middlesbrough 49% are on the breadline, in Stockton the figure is 40% and in east Hartlepool the number is 39%.

But despite the pockets of poverty, only a relatively small number of people feel as if they do not belong and the sense of community is quite high, the survey found.

Overall on Teesside, the population has fallen by almost 2% between 1981 and 2006. This compares with an average UK increase of 7.4%.

In the area, only 9.1% are considered to be asset wealthy - with a home worth more than £300,000.

This is one of the lowest in the UK, with only Newcastle and Glasgow faring worse.