Life expectancy for men in Stevenage has risen year-on-year, new statistics show, but men and women in north Herts are living shorter lives.

In Stevenage the average life expectancy for a man has increased to 79.6 years, while in North Herts it has fallen to 79.9 years from more than 80 years old.

However, both these figures are still lower than average in Hertfordshire, which sees men living to 80.4 years of age.

Meanwhile the life expectancy of women in Stevenage and North Herts has dipped.

While they are still living longer than men, the average age for a woman to die in Stevenage is 82.6 and 82.8 in North Herts.

This is below the average for women in Hertfordshire which is 83.8 years, and across England as a whole female life expectancy is placed at 83 years.

In Hertfordshire men and women live longest in St Albans, on average 81.7 years and 85.3 respectively.

Men and women in Watford have the shortest life expectancy at 79.2 years and 82.3.

The figures were published by HCC as part of its Health Challenges for Hertfordshire 2014 report.