FIGURES that show Whittington has a higher death rate than some African countries have been ridiculed by its local councillor, who says the comparison makes the village sound like the fictional murder-mystery village of Midsomer.
The statistics, compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in response to a parliamentary question, show Whittington has a mortality rate of 1,468 per 100,000 people in 2009, placing it behind Bridgend in South Wales, which had a rate of 1,499. However, the figures also place it ahead of African countries such as Botswana, Rwanda and Kenya which have rates of 1,452, 1,427 and 1,422, respectively.
Shropshire Councillor Steve Charmley said the data was not a correct reflection of the village, adding that if the mortality rate was that high, the village should be compared Midsomer, made famous in the ITV series Midsomer Murders, where the current death rate stands at around 3,000 after 14 series.
“They are 2009 figures based on the 2011 ward boundaries, which puts Whittington with West Felton. This has made them very distorted as Whittington was in a ward with Gobowen in 2011,” said Cllr Charmley. “There is no comparison - perhaps they should compare us to Midsomer.”
The story hit the headlines last week when it was featured in national newspaper The Telegraph, in which experts put the rate down to depravity in certain parts of the country.
Cllr Charmley continued: “To see a headline like that does not sit in line with any normality I know. Whittington is not a deprived area, we have a thriving community and a thriving school and all those things point to it being anything but deprived.
“Whittington is a fantastic place to live and I think all the community living here enjoy the facilities we have,” he added.
He said Shropshire Council were now looking into how the statistics had been compiled.
Following publication of The Telegraph article, a spokesperson for the ONS also urged caution, saying many ward-level mortality rates are “uncertain and volatile.”
“Although the data and methods used by ONS are reliable in themselves, the number of deaths among such a small population can vary widely by chance, and the figures may also be affected by the presence in the area of a nursing home or hospice,” they added.
They said that mortality rates depended on the standard population used and recording deaths in some countries such as Botswana and Rwanda is not as comprehensive as in the UK, leading to estimations on limited information.