The number of over 55s in Ealing seeking drug and alcohol treatment has leapt by 25% in the past year - more than anywhere in England.

According to figures from Public Health England, the number of over 55s seeking the treatment rose from 178 in 2013/14 to 223 in 2014/15.

The rise, larger than anywhere in the country at 25%, is in stark contrast to the rise across the whole of England of 7%, from 25,133 in 2013/14 to 26,836 in 2014/15.

For people aged 18 to 24 in the borough, there was a rise of just 2%, from 142 in 2013/14 to 145 in 2014/15, while in Brent the increase was less than 6%, from 162 to 171 in the same period.

'Many are regularly drinking above recommended limits'

Chief executive of Alcohol Concern, Jackie Ballard, said: "Harmful drinking is a real issue for middle-aged and older people.

"Many of this group are regularly drinking above recommended limits, often in their own homes where it can be harder to keep track of how much you’re consuming.

"These are the people who, if they develop alcohol related illnesses, tend to require the most complex and expensive health care due to the mental and physical problems caused by drinking too much.

"Alcohol is directly linked to over 60 medical conditions and that's why we recommend people stick to the government guidelines – no more than two to three units a day for both men and women - while also making sure there are two to three alcohol-free days during the week to allow the body to recover."

Across England, 295,224 people had at least one episode of substance misuse treatment in 2014/15, down 2% from 301,944 in 2013/14.

'People drink more during recessions'

Liberal Democrat Councillor Gary Malcolm, who has previously campaigned for cannabis to be legalised, believes the increase in drinking could be linked to cheaper availability and the recession.

He also called for more to be done in secondary schools and that addiction should be treated as a medical issue.

The Southfield ward representative said: "Alcohol abuse will have increased possibly because the price of bottles and beers is lower than before.

"Also in recessions often people drink more.

"I think the council and the government need to do more at secondary schools to ensure that alcohol risks are explained to children.

"Anyone who becomes an addict should be treated as a medical issue since we do not want people to be addicts of anything.

"So there needs to be systems in place - in the workplace, schools, at home, at GPs, hospitals etc - where potential issues can be identifies early so that they do not get to a severe addiction.

"People do not want to be addicts but they do because of a range of life changes - marital breakdown, work place bullying etc - and we need to help people not lock them up and throw away the keys."

You can seek help by visiting Alcohol Concern.