The findings – described as terrifying – show the shocking gulf in life-expectancy rates, where people's postcodes are now a matter of life and death.

In Ovenden, the area with the lowest life-expectancy rates, men are likely to live till 73 and women to77.

In the better-off wards of Northowram and Warley, just a few miles away, women comfortably live until 83 and men 79. Danielle Coombs, (Lab, Ovenden) described the statistics compiled by Calderdale Primary Care Trust as "terrifying" and demanded action to stop the rot spreading to future generations. She said: "These are shocking statistics but not in the least bit surprising.

"It is vital that we all commit to ending this health inequality and completely ending child poverty in Ovenden because this report clearly shows poverty is a killer.

"I hope Calderdale Council and the PCT heed the warning in these figures."

Illingworth, Park and Todmorden also fare badly in the report, with men living until 73 and women 79 or 80.

The Todmorden figures are particularly stark when compared with the Calder Valley average, where women live until 84 and men 77.

The three biggest issues affecting the health of Calderdale's most deprived areas are obesity, smoking and alcohol abuse.

Paul Dornan, head of policy at Child Poverty Action Group, said: "These are very significant gaps between communities and they show how unfairly pronounced the levels of poverty and inequality really are.

"The long term and short term effects of this are very serious."

Paul Butcher, the deputy director of Calderdale PCT, said: "Everybody has a real commitment to narrowing the gap in Calderdale.

"The Calderdale average in quality of life is improving but the most deprived areas are staying the same.

"It is of a real concern to us and we are working hard to reduce it."