Carlisle had among the highest rates of deaths caused by alcohol, drugs and suicide in England over a three-year period, new analysis has found.

The team behind the study called for greater action "to prevent deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide", and said the Government must improve the inequalities found across England.

Researchers from the University of Manchester analysed coroners' court records from 2019 to 2021.

Their analysis showed 46,200 people lost their lives due to drugs, alcohol or suicide in England – the equivalent of 42 people per day.

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In Carlisle, there were 49 deaths linked to alcohol, 70 caused by drugs and 39 suicides reported during the same period – which includes the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In total, there were 158 'deaths of despair', a collective term for deaths from these causes.

It meant the area had one of the highest mortality rates in England with 59.8 deaths per 100,000 people.