THOUSANDS of homes are falling below the warmth 'breadline' - resulting in up to 400 deaths each year, according to a report.

Warm and Well in North Yorkshire reveals there are between 200 to 400 deaths a year and a further 3,000 emergency hospital admissions in the county, due to cold homes.

The year long study also found up to 26,000 residents living in fuel poverty, spending more than ten per cent of their income on trying to keep warm.

The project worked to bring up to 30 different agencies and charities together, including Age UK, to help and advise people battling to stay warm.

Report author Candice Dowson said:"With poor or hard-to-heat housing stock, particularly in the countryside and rural areas, residents struggle to heat and insulate their homes in an efficient and affordable way that enables them to keep warm, well and safe in winter.

"The pressure on health services to pick up the pieces is on an unprecedented and unsustainable scale."

The investigation by Community First Yorkshire, formerly Rural Action Yorkshire was paid for by the British Gas Energy trust. The aim was to find ways of reducing the deaths and find out what needed to be done to make homes warmer.

As a result the scheme reached more than 4,000 people giving advice and help and training over 300 frontline workers on where to get support as well as raising awareness of the impact of cold homes on health.

Ms Dowson added:"More and more the health sector and local authorities must look for alternative methods to combat the crisis of fuel poverty.

"There are over 26,000 homes across North Yorkshire living in fuel poverty, ten per cent of the population, and this does not include the additional numbers at risk of falling below the warmth 'breadline'

"Despite its reputation for appearing to be an affluent part of the country, North Yorkshire has amongst the 20 per cent most deprived areas in England.

"The range of organisations involved with Warm and Well is a great example of good practice. It has not been done on this scale before in North Yorkshire, and it means we have an amplified reach into communities. We have helped residents who had had no heat for five years, or who are sleeping downstairs to keep warm. Some have built up thousands of pounds worth of debt.

"We have built up a large profile with frontline workers, community nurses and charities and created a pathway that enables us to reach the most vulnerable people.”