A £2 million campaign is to start to improve the health of people in parts of Brad-ford.

The Manningham Healthy Living Initiative is being run by a partnership of health, regeneration and business groups.

Statistics show Manning-ham to be one of the most deprived areas of the city with 23 per cent of housing deemed unfit for habitation and premature-death rates 50 per cent higher than the national average.

The majority of Manning-ham's residents are of South Asian descent and traditionally suffer from a high incidence of coronary heart disease and diabetes.

The campaign is intended to reduce the levels of health-related problems by educating residents about the benefits of healthy living by improving their diet, housing and life-style.

It will be run by Action for Business Ltd, a community-based non-profit company that has been involved in the regeneration of Manningham for the past nine years, Bradford City Primary Care Trust, Manningham and Girlington SRB Partnership, Bradford Community Envir-onment Project and Bradford Sport Zone.

Today the campaign was welcomed by community leaders.

The Reverend George Moffatt, chairman of the Manningham Mills Comm-unity Project, said: "Anything that makes people take ownership of their bodies has got to be good and is the right thing to do.

"The area has been characterised by physical inactivity and economic inactivity for a long time and when linked with regeneration of the mill the new initiative will be a very powerful package to the community."

Councillor Stanley King (Con, Heaton) said: " I think it is an excellent initiative because I'm not sure that people in modern-day Britain understand the benefits of healthy eating and exercise.

"I am all in favour of these measure."

The campaign is part-funded by The New Opportunities Fund and will also offer a programme of traineeships, giving people the chance to work with the initiative and develop skills as well as gain qualifications.