One in four people aged over 16 in Surrey is drinking more than the recommended safe limit of alcohol, Surrey County Council said.

About 200,000 people across the county were believed to be putting their health a risk by regularly drinking more than the recommended daily limits.

Men are advised to drink no more than four units a day and women no more than three, with at least two days of no alcohol a week.

Gail Hughes, from Surrey County Council’s public health team, said: “Enjoying wine with a meal or having a gin and tonic before dinner seems perfectly normal but doing it routinely could lead to long-term health problems such as heart disease and stroke.

“We’re also working closely with GPs and hospitals to ensure they check patients’ drinking habits and give advice where necessary about the risk of having too much alcohol too often.”

The warning follows the launch of Surrey’s new health and wellbeing board as part of the national NHS reforms.

The drinking figures are listed in the board’s first health and wellbeing strategy.