BLACKBURN with Darwen is the worst in the country for its rate of children killed and seriously injured on its roads, new figures show.

Public Health England (PHE) figures show that 43 children were killed and seriously injured in collisions on the borough’s roads between 2015 and 2017.

The figure equates to 41.7 per 100,000 children killed and seriously injured on the borough’s roads, the highest rate in England and more than double the national average of 17.4 per 100,000.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s transport boss, Cllr Phil Riley, described the figures as deeply concerning.

He said: “Clearly these numbers are deeply concerning.

“But we need to get behind the numbers to understand what’s happening and what action the council may need to take.

“There’s plenty we do already, including going into schools and holding road safety events with hundreds of children.”

The rate of children killed and seriously injured is also among the worst in England in Lancashire, with the county council responsible for roads in Hyndburn, Burnley, Darwen, Pendle and Rossendale. Figures show there were 224 children killed and seriously injured on roads in Lancashire, a rate of 34.1 per 100,000.

Lancashire County Council transport boss Cllr Keith Iddon said: “These figures are very disappointing.

“We don’t want anyone behind injured or killed in collisions but this is a big statement and unlikely to happen.

“I’m on the road safety board and £6m has been secured from the government to make six of the worse roads in Lancashire safer, so things are being done.”

Separately, the PHE figures show Blackburn with Darwen is only behind Kensington and Chelsea in having the worst child mortality rate.

In 2015-17, 26 children aged one to 17 died in Blackburn with Darwen, a rate of 24 per 100,000.

Dominic Harrison, the council's director of public health, said he was very concerned by the figure and said high levels of deprivation in the borough was a factor.

He said: "Higher levels of deprivation are associated with higher levels of risk of preventable death, so deprivation does play a role.

"I am very concerned that we're second worst but I'm confident that we'll be addressing all these preventable causes of death that we can and will report back on to commissioners."

Dr Paul Fourie, of Witton Medical Centre, Blackburn, added: "I know of children who go to school without food or attend school events without any shoes to wear, so deprivation levels are high.

"While those children most at risk of an early death are those who may not have access to or go to GPs for vaccinations and various other things.

"As GPs we know this, as the local safeguarding services will ask us if we've seen a child and they've had a vaccination for instance.

"These figures are quite staggering."