THE future is bright for the health and well-being of North East Lincolnshire's residents.

This is the view of Dr Tony Hill, North East Lincolnshire's director of public health, who is leaving the role after 14 years.

As reported, Dr Hill, who lives in Louth, is stepping down in June to take up a similar post as joint director of public health and partnerships with Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust and Lincolnshire County Council.

Reflecting on the past 14 years, Dr Hill spoke of the improvements he has seen in his time in charge of public health and what he believes are the challenges ahead.

The 53-year-old said: "The statistics show that we are getting healthier, and this is shown by improvements in our habits, such as more and more people giving up smoking.

"We have seen great work between the Care Trust Plus and the council, who have a big part to play in making the people of North East Lincolnshire healthier, especially over the past two years, and this has been really encouraging from my point of view."

Read more from Dr Hill in today's Grimsby Telegraph.