LIVERPOOL has the third- highest level of alcohol harm in England, according to a report released today.

“Alcohol profiles” have been drawn up for each Primary Care Trust region, and they show only Manchester and Salford have bigger issues with excessive drinking.

The city has the second highest amount of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England, with 2,612 per 100,000 people.

However Liverpool does not feature in the top 10 boroughs for alcohol-related crime.

Halton and Wirral come third and fourth respectively in the country for the amount of children admitted to hospital because of excessive drinking.

But no Merseyside borough features in the top 10 for the amount of people claiming incapacity benefit due to alcoholism.

The figures have been compiled by researchers at the North West Public Health Observatory, based in the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University.

Professor Mark Bellis, director of the North West Public Health Observatory, said: “Without substantial change in drinking behaviours, the annual number of alcohol-related admissions to hospitals in England is on course to exceed one million per year in two years’ time.

“Such admissions are still only the tip of an iceberg, with many people attending accident and emergency units, GPs and pharmacies in order to treat health conditions resulting from their alcohol use.”