A report suggesting Oxford has the biggest binge-drinking problem in the South-East and the highest death rates from liver disease should be treated with caution, health chiefs and pub landlords in the city said.

Research carried out by the North West Public Health Observatory showed Oxford as the worst location for binge-drinking out of 66 other areas.

The public health researchers analysed data from a health survey for England, which quizzed 1,000 people aged 16 and above in the region, between 2002 to 2004.

Oxford is the 31st worst local authority area for binge drinking out of 354 nationally.

But a spokesman for Oxford City Primary Care Trust told the Oxford Mail that the survey findings needed to be treated with caution.

Oxford City PCT public health manager Mary Hardwick said: "It needs noting, however, that the statistics used in the profiles such as those relating to deaths from chronic liver disease do need to be treated with caution because of the small numbers concerned.

"There have only been 47 deaths from chronic liver disease over a three-year period. This means that the findings are not statistically significant."

Public health staff who compiled the survey admit that the binge-drinking findings are based only on estimated figures, but say they are a clear indication that Oxford has a major problem.

Dr Karen Tocque, director of science and strategy at the observatory, said: "Oxford clearly has a binge drinking problem, and our findings across the country show that this is happening in city centres where there is access to nightlife, and cheap alcohol and entertainment for young people.

"The North is much more heavily affected by this problem than the South, but our findings show that cities like Oxford are also at risk.

"We are forwarding the results of our survey to our colleagues in the South East and hope the information is filtering through to local agencies who can help people with specific alcohol-related problems.

"If you get a big new bar opening in a city centre, it might be good for local business, but it can have a negative impact on other aspects of the community.

"Local primary care trusts and local authorities need to work together to examine the negative effects of alcohol in their area."

Dr Tocque said Oxford could be experiencing such a problem with alcohol because of a pattern in the South East of richer people drinking more. "In the north of the country there's a very strong correlation with deprivation and alcohol consumption," she said. "Down South it tends to be that people who are more affluent are drinking more."

Ian Stevenson, chairman of Oxford Pubwatch and landlord of The Bear Inn, Alfred Street, said: "They have got the statistics from somewhere but I feel it is very unfair. Oxford does not have a binge drinking problem - I worked in the West End of London for six years and I saw a lot worse there."