Brighton and Hove has been named the drugs death capital of the UK for the third year running.

Forty-six people died as a result of drugs in the city in 2004, ranking it above larger places like London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.

A report by the International Centre for Drug Policy gives Brighton and Hove a death rate of 21.8 per 100,000 of the population over 16 years old.

The figure is a significant improvement on the year before when there were 51 recorded deaths averaging at almost one a week and giving the city a rate of 25.3.

The number of deaths in West Sussex has gone up from 22 in 2003 to 31 in 2004, increasing its rate from 3.7 to 5.1.

In East Sussex there were 23 deaths compared to 34 in 2003 and its rate has fallen from 8.8 to 5.7.

The work being done in the city to cut the number of deaths was praised by the Government's chief medical office Sir Liam Donaldson last year and officials are pleased the downward trend which started in 2002 is continuing.

The centre, based at St George's Medical School in London, compiled the study using coroners' reports from England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

It found there was an eight per cent drop in the number of drug related deaths from 1,487 in 2003 to 1,372 in 2004.

Most of those who died were men under 45 years old and more than half, 56 per cent, were the result of accidental overdoses, an increase of five per cent on the year before.

The proportion of deliberate overdoses dropped slightly from 37 per cent in 2003 to 35 per cent in 2004.

Most deaths, 68 per cent, were caused by heroin, morphine and other opiates, an increase on the year before but the number of deaths involving other drugs stayed the same.

The second highest city was Liverpool with a rate of 15.8 and this was followed by Blackpool and the Fylde at 11.1.

Emma Gill, substance misuse service user involvement worker at Mind in Brighton and Hove, said a lot of work was being done to cut the number of deaths.

She said: "There are agencies which work closely together to deal with the subject. People can get advice and information about the dangers of drugs and the risk of accidental overdoses.

"There is a large transient population of people who come to the city. Some may have to wait months for a place to live and if they are on the streets and using then that makes them more vulnerable."

Other work being done in the city includes courses at Lewes Prison, substance misuse nurses working in accident and emergency departments and specialists working closely with GPs and ambulance crews.

Tom Scanlon, director of public health in the city, said: "These figures demonstrate that while there may have been some recent reduction there is still a considerable problem of drug-related deaths in Brighton and Hove.

"Over the past years staff in hospitals, primary care, the Primary Care Trust and the City Council have put considerable effort into getting these figures down with several new joint initiatives.

"While it is too early to say that a corner has been turned, some encouragement can be taken by all those who are working hard to reduce drug-related deaths in the city."

Philippa Gibson, adult joint commissioning manager of the West Sussex drug and alcohol action team, said: "The work we are doing shall help us find ways to further improve services for drug users locally and thereby reduce the number of drug-related deaths."