The 2008 Daventry Health Profile, from the Association of Public Health Observatories, shows around 90 people die or are seriously injured on local roads each year.

The report comes in the same week when a separate report named the A5 from Weedon to Kilsby as one of the most dangerous routes in the region. Between 2004 and 2006, EuroRAP and the ITV programme Police Camera Action found drivers on roads in the Daventry district are almost two-and-a-half times more at risk than on the average A road.

Another category that scored 'significantly worse' than the England average in the Daventry Health Profile was the number of physically active children, with 83.1 per cent of school-age children doing at least two hours PE and school sport a week, compared to the national average of 85.7 per cent.

Councillor Alan Hills, Daventry District Council’s portfolio holder for community, culture and leisure, said: “Daventry District Council has an extensive programme of activities for children and teenagers across the district.

“Among these is the free swimming scheme, our play rangers laying on free play days and our summer activities programme offering everything from football and basketball to dance and athletics.”

The profile, which aims to give a snapshot of the area’s health, highlighted Drayton, Abbey South and half of the Hill ward as areas of deprivation. Nationally the wards were ranked fourth on a scale of one to five, with fifth being the most deprived. Locally, the areas were ranked fifth.

Colin Poole, Daventry district councillor for Drayton ward, which includes the Grange estate, said: “The fact the ward is an area of deprivation is alarming. We’ve been asking for years for things to improve, on the Grange estate in particular. Perhaps this will highlight the issues and we can go forward from here.”

Overall, the profile showed people in the area are significantly healthier than the national average, with lower levels of violent crime, obesity in children and alcohol-related hospital stays. Over the past 10 years, deaths from heart disease and stroke have decreased in the district and the death rate from smoking is also lower than average.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) said: “The PCT welcomes the news Daventry has significantly better health than the England average. One area we are working to tackle in Daventry is the level of physical activity amongst young people.”

For further information visit www.healthprofiles.info.