A STUDY of how people react to relationship break-up has challenged the stereotype of ‘southern softies’ and ‘hard’ northerners.

The survey of more than 2,000 adults from all over the UK found that people from the North-East would take the most time off work to recover.

While just 24 per cent of Londoners, 33 per cent of Brightonians and 14 per cent of Brummies who’d taken time off took five days to feel better, 56 per cent of Geordies felt the need for a full week to recover, closely followed by 45 per cent of Glaswegians.

The results of the survey,  commissioned by benenden health, was released on St Valentine's Day.