BLACKBURN has the highest proportion of children aged 10 to 14 in England, while the Ribble Valley is one of the most Christian areas of the country.

These are among the statistics to come out of the 2001 Census, which reveals that more than eight per cent of the population of Blackburn consists of 10 to 14-year-olds, the highest proportion in the country for this age group.

Councillor Maureen Bateson said: "We have a growing younger population in comparison to some areas. The council is looking at some of the statistics, but it is a positive side to the economy that bodes well for the future. "

In the Ribble Valley-- where more than 85 per cent of the population is Christian -- fewer than eight per cent of residents claim to be in "not good health'' against 11 per cent across the region and nine per cent countrywide.

Coun Chris Holton, Leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council, said there was a number of reasons for the high number of Christians in the borough.

He said: "These are only suggestions, but we do have very settled communities and in these communities we get a higher affinity to the local church.

"Another factor is that we do have a slightly higher proportion of middle-aged and elderly people and Christian traditions seem to be stronger in those age groups.

"The Ribble Valley is also made up of a lot of white, middle class people who tend to be practising Christians."

A spokesman for the Office for National Statistics said: "It is not our place to pass comment or speculate on the findings of the census.

"But in the case of Blackburn with Darwen you can see in the figures that it has a high proportion of people of child bearing age and a high proportion of people from an ethnic minority background who tend to be a younger group than the larger white population.

"But beyond that we couldn't speculate.

"The same is true in regard to Christianity in the Ribble Valley. It has an older population and higher proportion of white, middle class people."

Christians are at a premium in region

THE North West is the most densely populated region in England and Wales, outside London, and has the highest proportion of lone parent households with dependent children.

Some 69 per cent of households in the region are owner occupied, one point above the national average. But slightly more households have no access to a car or van than nationally (30.2 per cent against 26.8 per cent).

And just three out of ten people in the North West aged 16 to 74 have no qualifications.

The census results for the North West show that it is second only to the North East for the proportion of people stating their religion to be Christian. It has the five English local authorities with the highest proportion of Christians (more than 85 per cent) -- Ribble Valley, St Helens, Wigan, Copeland and Knowsley.

After Christianity, Islam is the most common religion in the North West, with three per cent -- very close to the national average. But there are fewer Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs than in the country as a whole. Only 10.5 per cent of the population claim to have no religion, compared to 14.6 per cent nationally.

Some 94 per cent of the population state their ethnic group as white, compared to 90.9 per cent nationwide, and while proportions of most other ethnic groups are smaller than for England as whole there is an above average proportion of Pakistanis.