A quarter of prisoners come from just 53 council wards, most in the poorer areas of Glasgow.

Mr Houchin, now based at Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Life Sciences, carried out the study for the Scottish Prison Service. He looked at the number of prisoners from each ward in Scotland on June 30, 2003.

Royston, Glasgow, topped the league. In Edinburgh, most prisoners came from Craigmillar, Woodside was highest in Aberdeen and Hilltown in Dundee.

The research showed that overall there were 129 prisoners per 100,000 people.

The research is being published today in the book Agenda for a New Scotland: Visions of Scotland 2020.

Underlining the link between poverty and crime, the report says, “Just as it is a fact of life if you are born in the most deprived parts of the country that there is an increased probability you will remain poor and die young, so it is an analogous fact that you have an increased probability of spending time in prison.”

In response to the report, the Scottish Executive accepted deprivation was a factor in crime but maintained it was not an excuse for criminal behaviour.

Hilltown councillor Fiona Grant said the results came as no great surprise. “I think it is quite clear there is a proven link between poverty, deprivation and many of society’s ills,” she said.

“However, poverty is a factor and never an excuse because crime blights individual lives and communities.”

Councillor Grant said a number of intervention programmes are already under way in Dundee’s social inclusion areas, from school level up. However, it takes time for the effect to filter through.

“There are also drug intervention programmes, which are important because, as everyone is aware, much crime is drugs related,” she continued. “This is something the council has been working on with partners as it really is one of society’s main evils.”