British tell 657 lies a year – and banks to blame

BRITISH people tell 657 lies each a year – and most blame their dishonesty on bankers and MPs, a survey revealed yesterday.

Four in five of those polled said lies were now a part of day-to-day life – something they attributed to a “modern expectation of scandal” among public figures.

Despite the recent outcry over MPs’ expenses, 41% of people admit to over-claiming at work. Nearly half of respondents also admitted to stealing a small item from a shop, travelling on a train without a ticket or purposely damaging purchased goods to get their money back.