One in six teenagers out of work or education for a long period could be dead within 10 years, a senior government education advisor says.

Jon Coles, director of schools for England at the Department for Children, Schools and Families quoted anecdotal research from the north of England.

He said he was "profoundly shocked" by the figures and that he hoped they were not replicated across England.

Ministers said the research did not represent the national picture.

But he quoted research which looked back at the so-called 'Neets' (not in education, employment or training) of 10 years ago, and discovered that 15% of those studied had already died...

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