Weymouth town residents can expect to live up to 10 years less than people living just a few miles away on the outskirts, statistics show.

Office for National Statistics figures shows the gap in life expectancies between wards across Weymouth and Portland.

The vast disparities across the town show men living in Wey Valley, on the northern edges of the town, have a live expectancy of 84.3 but men in Melcombe Regis have a life expectancy of around 73.1 years – below the national average.

Meanwhile, women living in Preston can expect to live until they are almost 90 compared to woman in Melcombe Regis who are only expected to live until 81.

However, the figures also show both genders could see a sharp decline in their health after reaching their 60s.

On average, males in Weymouth would only live until they were 63 years old when their health was compromised while females would only live until they were 65.

Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Public Health, pointed the finger for the gap in life expectancy in Weymouth and Portland.

She said: “The growing gulf of health inequalities between rich and poor exposes the terrible effects of the policies pursued by this Government.

“It’s just astonishing that this decade has seen a slowdown in improvements in life expectancy – an appalling consequence of this Government’s failure to improve the chances of the worst-off – as years of under-funding in health and social care take their toll.

“The next Labour Government will ensure our health and care system is properly funded so all children are given the best possible start in life, and older people are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.’

In response, a Department for Health spokesman said: “Health inequality is a challenging and complex area and is driven by a variety of factors – but we are working hard to tackle the root causes and since 2010 income inequality has fallen.

“We are also investing more than £16 billion in local government public health services over the current spending period, as well as introducing world-leading plans to tackle childhood obesity, diabetes and smoking, and funding for campaigns such as Be Clear on Cancer.”

Weymouth and Portland Council chief executive Matt Prosser, leader Cllr Jeff Cant, DCC Chief Executive Debbie Ward, Dorset PCC Martyn Underhill and South Dorset MP Richard Drax added in a joint statement that they have been working to raise life expectancy rates in the borough.