Decade's gap in life expectancy: The week that was April 4 to 10, 2007

They said the plans would take services to the “next level”. Controversial proposals included a shake-up across health services, with more routine care delivered in GP practices and community hospitals, but more complex treatment given at large regional centres rather than district hospitals.

Targets to be achieved by 2010 included: life expectancy for the poorest to rise by two-and-a-half years; 1,000 fewer deaths from heart disease and 1,550 fewer deaths from cancer in the under 75s and deaths in infancy in the poorest communities to fall by 10 per cent.

Margaret Edwards, chief executive of Yorkshire’s Strategic Health Authority said the focus needed to be on tackling chronic ill-health, which hit poorer communities hardest.

She said: “We know there are many contributory factors in life expectancy, but we are determined to take poor health care out of the equation.”

Tony Blair’s hardline approach to unruly teenagers was creating a damaging “blame culture”, which stopped struggling families from seeking help, concluded Policy Research Bureau research carried out for the government.

Compulsory parenting classes and the threat of fines for failing to keep children under control had provoked resentment by making parents feel they were being judged.

The study said parents needed advice not punishment, and they failed to seek help for fear of being stigmatised. A strategy of “gentle support” would improve their confidence.

Good news was in short supply for the country’s cash-strapped local authorities, but the warm winter had saved councils across Yorkshire £2m which would otherwise have been spent on gritting the roads.

The Met Office said Britain had had the second warmest winter since records began in 1914. Only the winter of 1989 was warmer – with average temperatures reaching 5.82C. This winter had seen a nationwide average of 5.47C.

Leeds-based supermarket chain Asda revealed its latest stunt with the unveiling of the “non-stick” shirt.

For a mere £14, even the messiest of men could stay spotless, thanks to high-tech coated fabric called Permatech Cotton, which could suffer assault from red wine, tea, coffee, orange juice and pasta sauce yet remain pristine.

Spokesman Ed Watson said they had started with a man’s shirt because they were “messier than women”, but the technology could be used on other garments and fabrics. He said: “We’ve taken the fear out of eating spaghetti bolognese in public for the first time.”

Novice angler Valerie Carey, a home care assistant from York, returned from holiday in Namibia with an epic tale to tell.

Mrs Carey, 50, took up a rod for only the second time while her more experienced husband Glenn got on with landing small 80lb sand sharks further down the beach.

Within minutes of casting her bait, Mrs Carey and a friend were caught up in a struggle to tame a three-metre, 485lb bronze whaler shark.

Reeling it in after a two-hour battle, the shark was tagged and released once more into the deep. Mrs Carey said her husband was a tad green around the gills – with envy.