Poll lists Britons' toilet pastimes

A poll conducted by the Tearfund charity has listed the most popular toilet pastimes of Britons.

The investigation, which marked World Toilet Day, was designed to raise awareness of poor sanitary conditions around the world.

It listed reading, chatting and texting among the most popular activities. It also revealed that 14 million people in the UK regularly read papers, books or magazines while visiting the lavatory.

In separate research, the Royal Society For Public Health (RSPH) issued a warning that around half of British adults do not clean their hands properly after using the toilet. Meanwhile, one in six confessed to not cleaning them at all on occasion.

"We know hand washing and drying could prevent up to half of all acute respiratory infections in this country and this, in turn, could save up to £80m on annual GP consultations," said RSPH chief executive Professor Richard Parish.

"Hand washing is even more effective at preventing acute gastro-intestinal infections."