�Heart disease is killing more people per 100,000 in Islington than in any other part of London.

Around 228 people are dying each year from coronary heart disease (CHD), according to figures released by the charity Heart UK.

They show Islington has 114.12 deaths per 100,000 people – a staggering 68 per cent higher than the national average of 77.63.

Neighbouring boroughs Camden and Haringey have 74.60 deaths and 85.07 per 100,000, respectively.

‘Responsibility’

Jules Payne, chief executive of Heart UK, said: “The public need to take responsibility for their own health – if you’re eating fish and chips every day that’s not good. But we also need to see action from the health authorities.

“NHS Islington needs to make sure it is health checking more and monitoring more.”

Islington is also the fifth worst area in the country for coronary heart disease, according to the figures which are based on 2009 data.

Cllr Janet Burgess, executive member for health and adult social care, said the borough’s high levels of deprivation are likely to be the cause of such alarming mortality rates.

She said: “I’m not quite sure why we’re worse than anyone else, but high deprivation levels would explain a lot of it.

“But a lot has been done over the past couple of years, for example GPs are getting in touch with people who might fall in risk categories, so these figures from 2009 have maybe not quite caught up with the reality.”

She also highlighted the council’s policy of providing free school meals to all primary school children,

“That will hopefully produce a generation more aware of what healthy food is,” she added.

‘Quitting smoking’

A spokesman for NHS North Central London, which incorporates NHS Islington, said: “We have excellent community services in Islington that provide advice and support for patients, along with access to world class treatment centres, but ultimately the best way of treating CHD is to prevent it.

“Quitting smoking, eating healthily and increasing exercise levels are steps we can all take to reduce our risk of developing heart disease.”