A NATIONAL health body is delighted with the progress being made to tackle tooth decay among children in Blackburn with Darwen.

The borough, which has some of the worst teeth in the country, was singled out in a new report by Public Health England after making huge improvements since 2008.

The progress in Blackburn with Darwen means Pendle children now have the worst teeth in East Lancashire.

According to new figures, the number of five-year-olds with decayed, missing or filled teeth in Blackburn with Darwen has dropped by a massive 10 per cent, compared to a three per cent reduction in the rest of Lancashire and Cumbria.

The proportion of five-year-olds in the borough with dental problems now stands at 41 per cent, the 21st highest in the country.

Five years ago the figure was 51 per cent, which was the fifth worst.

Council bosses believe the improvements are down to awareness raising from a local ‘Stop The Rot’ campaign, as well as preventative measures such as a programme of distributing fluoride toothpaste to families with young children, and increased use of fluoride varnish by dentists.

Eric Rooney, of the Cumbria & Lancashire Public Health England Centre, said: “We are delighted to see there have been significant improvements in Blackburn with Darwen, where children’s oral health has been particularly poor over past years.”

Dominic Harrison, the council’s director of public health, said: “I am delighted that we are making so much progress in Blackburn with Darwen.

“But to fix the problem permanently we need to address the root cause and that is hidden sugar in our food and particularly the promotion of high sugar products to children.”

More modest improvements were made the rest of East Lancashire, with 45 per cent of five-year-olds now suffering problems in Pendle, ranking it the eighth worst in England.

The proportion was 42 per cent in Burnley and Hyndburn, 31 per cent in Rossendale and 20 per cent in Ribble Valley.