DAMNING levels of infant deaths across Worcester re-flect poverty and deprivation in the city, according to the county's health authority.

Figures released by the Department of Health earlier this week showed 7.7 per cent of babies born in the city died between 1997 and 2000.

The figure meant Worcester lurked near the bottom of a table for baby deaths, with more than cities such as Liverpool and Newcastle, which are often thought of as being the most deprived in the country.

Now the health authority, in conjunction with Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council, is trying to tackle health inequalities across the county to solve the problem.

"By and large, these figures reflect poverty and deprivation and these need to be tackled at both county and city level," said Professor Brian McCloskey, director of public health for Worcestershire.

"Specifically, the main causes of the baby deaths are due to very premature births and some congenital malformations.

"We will need to do further work before we can be sure what measures can be brought in to tackle this."

Worcester's infant mortality rates for the under-ones were 7.7 per cent for every 1,000 births.

The rate was 53rd highest out of 354 local authority areas across the country.

Redditch also had a high mortality rate, at 7 per cent in every 1,000 live births.

Wyre Forest recorded a figure of 2.9 per cent, Bromsgrove 4.9 per cent, and Malvern Hills 4.5 per cent.

Worcester City MP Mike Foster said the problem needed to be tackled before it got out of hand.

"It confirms my fears of Worcester having pockets of deprivation which, allied with other problems, has meant extreme inequality," he said.

"These inequalities have to be addressed because we cannot afford to see Worcester at the bottom."