Salford versus Surrey Heath - The staggering inequalities in our country laid bare

A child born in Salford is likely to live more than a decade less than a baby born in the affluent southern borough of Surrey Heath.

It's a stark figure and one that highlights the staggering regional inequality that exists in our country.

Just last week the government's Levelling Up White Paper was finally unveiled, with long-promised plans to close the gap between rich and poor parts of the country.

It's a gap that's been widening over the last three decades and it's perhaps most evident when you look at the inequalities that exist in specific areas.

Local leaders fear the Levelling Up white paper doesn't go far enough to ensure that those born in the most deprived parts of the country are given a fair chance.

The Manchester Evening News and other Reach titles across the North and Midlands are joining forces to call for change, to make sure that no child is left behind.

As part of our 'Don't leave us behind' campaign, we've taken a look at how the city of Salford compares with Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove's constituency Surrey Heath to see exactly where those inequalities lie.

Life expectancy is obviously a major factor and figures show that the 'healthy life expectancy' of a female born in Salford is just 58.6 years, compared with Surrey Heath's 69.4 years - more than a 10-year gap.

For males it's 60.2 years and 67.2 years respectively.

The difference in health is stark from an early age.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that in 2019/20, 26% of children in Salford were overweight at Reception age, compared with 17.4% in Surrey Heath.

In Salford, 66.1% of adults were overweight, compared with 62.8% in the southern borough.

And it seems the residents of Surrey Heath are not just