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An area of East Kilbride has some of the worst booze-related crime and health problems in Scotland, a shocking new report has revealed.

The number of drinkers being hospitalised in the Village is higher than most parts of the country.

And the level of alcohol-fuelled crime is also among the highest 10 per cent across the whole of Scotland.

These alar ming statistics are part of a detailed report published by Alcohol Focus Scotland.

I t a l s o s h o ws t h a t man y p e o p l e a r e dying t hrough al coholism across S outh Lanarkshire.

Addiction workers insisted strong action needs to be taken to tackle the booze blight.

L i a m Purd i e, c ha i r man o f t he S out h L a nark s hi re Al c o hol Dr ug Pa r t ner s hi p (ADP), said: “Alcohol misuse has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of our population, especially those living in our most depr i v ed c ommunities where t he alcohol-related death rate is five times that of the least deprived 20 per cent.”

The report, titled ‘ Alcohol Outlet Availability and Harm In South Lanarkshire’, looks closely at the number of supermarkets, pubs a nd o f f - l i c e nc e s s e l l i ng b o oz e i n communities and how this is linked to death, crime and harm rates.

East Kilbr i de Vill age f all s i nto t he t op 1 0 p e r c e nt i n S c o t l a n d f o r c r i me a n d hospitalisations due to alcohol abuse in 2016.

As many as 553 people were admitted to hospital that year due to alcohol misuse and the number of recorded crimes of violence, sexual offences, domestic housebreaking, vandalism, drugs offences and common assault was 1053 per 10,000 population.

Meanwhile, the area, which also takes in part of East Mains, has as many as 25 places to be served alcohol within a one-kilometre radius.

This ‘outlet density rank’ is very high, while the surrounding area of Strathaven is average, as shown by the coloured map.

Dist r i c t s l i ke Greenhill s, St L e onards and Calder wood in East Kilbr ide have a