CANCER tsar Professor Mike Richards last night admitted there was a North-South divide in the quality of cancer care.

He told The Northern Echo he is striving to bridge the gap between the provision of cancer professionals in the prosperous South-East and the deprived North.

The former cancer specialist at St Thomas's Hospital, London, also claimed poverty was one of the principal causes of cancer in the region.

His comments come just days after the lottery of cancer care was again highlighted by two mistakes at the same hospital -Darlington Memorial.

In the first case, a pensioner was diagnosed with terminal cancer, given the all clear, then told again that he might have the disease.

In the second, a mother-of-two had part of her bowel removed when doctors mistakenly thought they had found cancer during a routine operation - then she was given a clean bill of health.

Speaking before an address to the Northern Cancer Network in Morpeth, Northumberland, he said: "We are aware there are variations in staffing levels and equipment between the regions and we are trying to redress that, but that will take time to achieve.

"The Department of Health have carried out a survey to establish a clear picture of the regional discrepancies to make sure the North has the right professionals, facilities and level of treatment for all."

One in four people die of cancer in Britain and a third of them are caused by smoking - a problem that Prof Richards associated with poverty-stricken areas like the North-East.

He added: "Sadly, poverty plays a big part. The levels of smoking among deprived groups inevitably increases the chances of having cancer, as does the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables - which can prevent cancer - associated with poorer areas."

In the wake of the recent cases at Darlington Memorial Hospital, and the national scandal of 78-year-old pathologist James Elwood, who is accused of misdiagnosing more than 200 cases, Prof Richards admitted there was a shortage of pathologists.

He said: "We have got a national shortage because we haven't been training enough over the last few years.

"But pathology has been at the top of my agenda, even before the Elwood case. The way to minimalise misdiagnosis in the future is to ensure we have the right teams of pathologists, clinicians and radiographers in the right place.

"Workforce issues are our top priority."