A SURVEY has revealed that nearly twice as many men in the Forest die from coronary heart disease compared with the national average.

And the British Heart Foundation figures make the area worse even than Glasgow, which has always been regarded as having the highest numbers of deaths related to heart disease in the country.

Public health officials in Gloucestershire are alarmed that 272 deaths per 100,000 in the Forest from heart disease against a national average of 150 per 100,000 makes it the worst place in the country. Glasgow recorded a figure of 260 deaths.

They say poverty and deprivation can be linked to many of the worst figures and the Forest may be reaping the legacy of hard times in the mining industry 30 or more years ago.

Eating fresh fruit and vegetables and not smoking could help to avoid heart disease – but many poorer communities had not followed these guidelines.

The rest of Gloucester fares far better than average in the survey figures. In the Cotswolds deaths amounted to only 100 per 100,000, and in Tewkesbury 105 per 100,000.