MOLE Valley has one of the biggest binge drinking problems in the country.

According to research carried out by the North West Public Health Observatory last year, Surrey boroughs make up half of the top 10 most hazardous areas in the country for binge drinking, with Mole Valley in eighth place.

Around 20 per cent of adults in the district binge drink.

The figures revealed by the Association of Public Health Observatories, which published a health profile of every Surrey borough and district, also state that around one in five adults in Mole Valley are obese.

There was some good news for the health of the district though, as levels of healthy eating and physical activity among adults was found to be higher than the national average.

Ruth Hutchinson, Consultant in Public Health at NHS Surrey, said: "The overall picture for people living in Mole Valley is positive.

"On the whole, their health is better than the average for England, life expectancy is high, and early deaths from cancer, heart disease and stroke are all lower than the national rates.

"However the profile also highlights some areas for concern, for example, the life expectancy of a woman living in one of the more deprived areas is almost five years lower than a woman living in the most affluent parts of the borough.

"It also shows us that nearly one in five adults are obese, around one in seven adults smoke and the rate of new cases of malignant melanoma skin cancer is higher than the national average.

"These are all issues we're aware of and taking steps to tackle. For instance, lower obesity rates will also reduce the risk of people developing conditions such as heart disease and diabetes later in life."