The “shocking” number of early deaths caused by bad living in Bradford compared with most of England is condemned by the Health Secretary today.

Jeremy Hunt said the huge gulf in death rates from the ‘four major killers’ – cancer, heart disease and stroke, lung disease and liver disease – was unacceptable.

And he challenged health chiefs to close the gap, saying: “People’s lives are needlessly cut short and that cannot continue unchecked.”

Mr Hunt spoke out as he published statistics revealing there were almost 4,700 premature deaths – before the age of 75 – in Bradford, between 2009 and 2011.

The city is ranked 122nd of England’s 150 local authorities, giving it a ‘red’ rating in a new traffic-light system for one of the worst records in the country.

Calderdale (117th), Kirklees (91st) and Leeds (100th) are also rated ‘red’ on a new website, longerlives.phe.org.uk.

The figures show there were 111 early deaths from cancer in Bradford per 100,000 people, over the three-year period – compared with 99 in neighbouring North Yorkshire. When it comes to heart disease and stroke, Bradford residents (83 per 100,000) are 50 per cent more likely to die prematurely than people in North Yorkshire (56).

And, in the case of lung disease, people in Bradford are almost twice as likely to die before the age of 75 (34 per 100,000) than in North Yorkshire (19).

The gulf also exists for early deaths from liver disease – 17 per 100,000 in Bradford and ten per 100,000 in North Yorkshire.

Mr Hunt said poverty was no excuse for high early death rates – pointing to Rotherham as an example of a poorer area that was successful saving lives.

And he said: “This shocking variation in early and unnecessary deaths means people’s lives are needlessly cut short and that cannot continue unchecked.

“I want areas to use the data released today to identify local public health challenges like smoking, drinking and obesity and to take action.”

Mr Hunt has set a target to save 30,000 lives a year by 2020.

However, he was accused of a “grossly unfair” distribution of funds – with Bradford receiving £59 per head, less than half the £130 per head handed to wealthy Kensington and Chelsea.