North identified as most bigoted place in western world

The North is the most bigoted place in the western world, according to research conducted at the University of Ulster.

The finding, which is due to be published in a leading economics journal, is based on a survey of almost 32,000 people in 23 countries.

They were asked how they would feel living beside Muslims, Jews, homosexuals or people of another race.

Forty-four per cent of respondents in the North said they did not want people from these groups living next door.

The main targets of the prejudice were gays, followed by foreign workers.

The North came in just ahead of Greece for levels of bigotry, with the lowest incidence of prejudice found to be in Sweden, Iceland, Canada and Denmark.