A SOUTH Scotland MSP has hit out at the government’s cuts to active health campaigns and sport in Ayrshire and Arran.

Labour's Colin Smyth believes that locals will “die early and live their last years in pain” as a result of the cuts.

At the beginning of September, the Scottish Government announced a £23.7m cut to active travel funding.

It was revealed earlier this year that 281 people die a year due to lack of exercise.

He said: “The findings of this report are stark – those who do the least physical activity in our region are at most risk of living shorter lives, with their last years often spent in agony.

“Yet this government has presided over cuts to grassroots sport and active travel that is creating an ill-health time bomb for the future.

“More Scots will die early and live their last years in pain unless this government acts quickly to ensure these cuts don’t cause permanent harm.

“Scottish Labour want to improve equal opportunities for exercise so that all Scots have a fair chance of enjoying later life.”

A further 249.5 disability-adjusted life years – years spent living with diseases such as cancers, strokes or heart disease – can also be attributed to lack of exercise.

More than 3000 deaths in Scotland can be attributed to physical inactivity, according to public health statistics published this month, with cancer and cardio-vascular disease accounting for around a third.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Physical inactivity has an impact on health, as do other lifestyle factors, which is why we invest in encouraging, supporting and enabling the least active people in society to move more through sport and physical activity.”