A HORRIFYING report revealed that nine out of ten people in Rossendale died unnecessarily the previous year.

District medical officer of health Dr Peter Grime told members of the local council's environmental health committee that 93.1 per cent of deaths during 1995 could have been avoided.

Out of 780 deaths recorded, 107 were directly attributed to smoking, 57 from coronary problems, 36 from lung cancer and 14 from bronchitis.

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