AN AREA of Blackburn has the third highest unemployment rate in the country, it has been revealed.

Shock figures show that 66 per cent of the working age population in part of the Wensley Fold ward are unemployed and claiming benefits.

The percentage is the third highest of 34,378 'micro areas' in England and Wales, according to the Conservative Party.

The Tories' study, compiled using data from the Office of National Statistics, shows that of 917 people aged 16 to 59 in the Wensley Fold area, 605 are out of work and on benefit.

Dave Harling, Labour councillor for Wensley Fold ward which covers part of Bank Top and the town centre, admitted he was surprised the figures were so high.

But he said: "What you do find is Wensley Fold is a town-centre ward, so it attracts people into the area who need to be near the town centre.

"It is one of the aims of the government to get people off benefit and back to work.

"We have tried to tackle this and we have made some progress over the years."

Yesterday the Lancashire Telegraph revealed East Lancashire districts were becoming more deprived, according to official government statistics.

Part of Wensley Fold ward was ranked the 34th most deprived area in the country.

Meanwhile, a separate, government-commissioned study by national director for health and work Dame Carol Black has said Britain's "sick note culture" was costing the economy £100 billion a year.

She called for a new "fit-note" system which would out set out what types of work people are able to do in a bid to get people back into employment.