Pressure of work eats into traditional lunch hours

It USED to be a mainstay of the working day, but according to a study the lunch hour is being gobbled up.

Millions of workers are taking lunch at odd hours to fit in with their hectic lifestyles.

Manaaz Ahktar, head of marketing for sandwich chain Subway, which carried out the study, said: "These results reflect ever-increasing work pressures. Personal needs sometimes come a poor second."

The poll of 2,067 people found that more than a third of workers have their lunch in the morning or late afternoon. It estimates that 2.9 million start lunch before 11am and almost ten million are forced to eat after 3pm.

Another report claims that 64 per cent of professionals now use their break to carry out errands and organise their finances rather than eat.