GOOD news for all our readers - if you're from York and North and East Yorkshire, you'll probably live longer.

New life expectancy statistics have given our area its cleanest-ever bill of health.

According to the Office for National Statistics, male babies born between 2002 and 2004 in York can expect to live to the grand old age of 77.3 - four months more than the national average.

Women fare even better, with a life expectancy of 82.1 - more than a year longer than average.

Those are the highest totals ever recorded in the area.

By contrast, North Yorkshire boys and girls born in 1901 were lucky if they made it to 50.

Rachel Johns, director of public health for the Selby and York Primary Care Trust, said she was delighted with the survey's results.

She said: "It's down to a combination of people taking care of themselves, being more knowledgeable, reducing their smoking, eating more healthily and having better access to healthcare.

"Selby is the only particular area of concern, because for a while the life expectancy of women there was actually below the national average. It is now well above the average, and in particular the work that we have been doing to support people giving up smoking seems to have been paying off. I am really pleased that we have made such an improvement - and I always knew York was a wonderful place to live."

There is also cause for

celebration for residents of Ryedale, Hambleton, Selby and the East Riding of Yorkshire, which also notched up record-breaking scores.

Dr Jeffrie Strang, director of public health for the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: "Over the years, life expectancy in Ryedale has gone up steadily, with two blips around the First and Second World Wars.

"This is good news for North Yorkshire, and it reflects changes in public health practice, but the key is living in a pretty affluent part of the country.

"Changes are happening - but not in all social groups. The key actions to improve life expectancy involve eating healthily, tackling obesity, taking more activity and stopping smoking."

Updated: 11:01 Saturday, November 12, 2005