Ref. 28838-53The binge-drinking 'ladette' culture is claiming more lives than ever according to a Swindon health consultant.

Dr Tony Pickworth, 41, consultant in the Intensive Care Unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital, said the number of young women drinking themselves to death was shocking.

In the last three years eight women, aged between 30 and 45, have been treated in ICU for liver failure as a direct result of excessive drinking. Five of those women died.

It may not sound a lot but compared to previous records the increase is evident. Between 1989 and 2001 the hospital's ICU did not treat any similar cases.

In the last week alone, the Evening Advertiser has reported how two women lost their licenses due to drink-driving related offences.

Recovering alcoholic Rachel Clapp, 32, of Mildmay Close, Grange Park, who had a liver transplant six years ago, was caught almost four times over the drink drive limit and subsequently banned for three years.

And yesterday's front page told how Christeen Fleming, 55, a teacher at St Joseph's School, was caught more than four times over the limit and banned for 21 months.

Dr Pickworth said: "Excessive drinking among young women is definitely becoming a much bigger problem as the figures show. When I started out it was extremely rare.

"Serious liver damage is usually a result of heavy drinking over a number of years. Some of these girls are drinking a bottle or two of vodka a day.

"Problems include jaundice, and alcoholic hepatitis an acute inflammation of the liver. If they stop drinking the liver could recover but mostly people will die."

Dr Kandy Kandiah of Sparcells Surgery said he hadn't noticed an increase in women coming to his surgery with alcohol-related problems but said there could be other explanations.

He said: "People don't seem to see their doctor with alcohol problems, but are taken to hospital when it has got to a serious stage.

"Smoking and obesity are taken very seriously at the moment due to Government health guidelines, but drink-related issues have taken a back seat. Alcohol should be given the same limelight as smoking and obesity."

Swindon police currently step up patrols in the town centre at weekends.

But Inspector David McMullin, of Swindon police, said acts of alcohol-related antisocial behaviour were low compared to similar sized towns.

Dr Pickworth's experiences reflect the national trend, as more and more young women are turning to the bottle.

A study of 3,374 women found those who exceeded the guidelines of 21 units maximum a week increased their risk of coronary heart disease by 57 per cent. One unit is equivalent to a half pint of beer, one 125ml glass of wine or one pub measure of spirit.

Dr Annie Britton and Professor Michael Marmot from University College London said their study, published in the journal Addiction, gave a "snapshot" of the future for a generation of binge-drinking women.

Alex Emery