LIVERPOOL is topping the country's hall of shame for alcohol abuse, according to a new set of shock figures.

The city received the worst possible rating for the number of men, women and teenagers who were admitted to hospital for alcohol attributable conditions.

Liverpool also suffered the worst ranking in England for the number of hospital admissions for alcohol-related harm.

John Moores University released the annual report yesterday, which identified the North-west as a region blighted by excessive drinking.

Professor Mark Bellis, director of the North West Public Health Observatory at JMU , said: “The price we pay for turning a blind eye to the real extent of alcohol abuse across England is reflected in the new Local Alcohol Profiles for England, and it is a price that is paid especially by the poorest communities.

“The English death toll from alcohol now exceeds fifteen and a half thousand people every year.”

A spokesperson for Liverpool PCT said: “We do not want Liverpool to have a reputation for harmful drinking, and we work hard with our partners to tackle alcohol misuse through awareness, intervention and treatment. Preventing alcohol misuse is a key priority – for every £1 spent on Alcohol Harm reduction, we will save £5 later on in treatment.

“Safe maximum limits per day are three units for women and four units for men with some alcohol free days in the week. However, we know the city’s population often exceed this.”

The survey, which used a range of key indicators in healthcare, criminal justice, drinking patterns and mortality, also highlighted problems across Merseyside.

Wirral suffered the worst possible grading for the number of women admitted to hospital from alcohol-related conditions, Sefton neared the bottom of the league for alcohol attributable mortality in females and alcohol related hospital admissions was a serious problem in Knowsley.

Sue Drew, Director of Public Health, Knowsley said: “We recognise the detrimental effects of excessive drinking on the health and wellbeing of our borough’s residents and tackling alcohol-related death and disease is a priority for Knowsley Health & Wellbeing.”

Acting Director of Public Health for Sefton, Hannah Chellaswamy, said:“ Directors of Public Health in Merseyside and Cheshire are calling for the Government to set a legal minimum price of 50p per unit.”

A spokesman for NHS Wirral said: “The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions have been reduced by 15%. If you live in Wirral and are worried about your alcohol consumption – please call 0800 988 1421 free of charge – help is at hand.”