Pressure..? We thrive on it up here...

PRESSURE at work, financial worries and concerns about health are leaving Britain in the grip of a stress “epidemic”, a new report warns.

But don’t worry folks, up here on Tyneside, we’re less strssed that the rest of Britain, apparently.

A survey of 4,000 adults by insurance giant Axa found that four out of five felt stressed during a typical week, while almost one in 10 were stressed all the time.

Workplace stress was linked to the “always on” culture, with most people taking calls or checking emails in the evenings and at weekends.

More than two out of three were worried about their salary prospects, while almost as many were concerned about paying household bills.

Men were more likely to be stressed about work, the study revealed.

Dr Mark Winwood, of Axa, said: “These findings illustrate the worrying scale of the UK’s stress epidemic, occurring both in the workplace and at home, impacting people up and down the country.

Cardiff was said to be the most stressed city, followed by Belfast, Sheffield, London and Leeds, while people were least stressed in Brighton, Newcastle, Liverpool, Cambridge, Birmingham and Leicester, the report added.