Access to fresh air in the countryside is the secret to a longer life, an expert has suggested.
According to Countryside Alliance campaigns director Robert Gray, people are more likely to live longer because of the many health benefits of the countryside, including unpolluted air.
He said: "The benefits of fresh air have been well documented since pre-Victorian times, when doctors used to send patients to the country to get some colour back in their cheeks."
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics this year indicated that life expectancy was higher in rural areas than it was in urban ones, with countryside residents likely to live two years longer than city-dwellers.
Two weeks ago, the coalition government released plans to promote cycling and walking and encourage bus operators and local authorities to work together in order to cut air pollution in urban areas.
As well as fresh air, Mr Gray added that open land and a relaxing environment were contributors to longer life expectancies for country dwellers.
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