Almost half of all workers in the Bristol area say they drink alcohol after work to relieve stress.

More than a quarter also say they drink at least once a week to cope with the pressures of their jobs.

A new survey from the Government's Know Your Limits campaign also shows 15 per cent of the region's workers have felt forced to drink to fit in with work colleagues.

And an alarming one in 10 say they would cut down on their alcohol consumption because they think it is affecting their work.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is backing the Know Your Limits campaign.

Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser at the CIPD, said: "This survey illustrates how work colleagues can influence how much we drink, even when we want to cut back.

"After-work drinks are often part of the fabric of many of our working lives, and it's often tempting to just go along with the crowd, even when you know your body needs a rest."

At a national level, workers in the media, publishing and entertainment industries were found to be the biggest drinkers, getting through an average of 44 units a week – equivalent to more than four bottles of wine or more than 19 pints of beer.

The NHS recommended limits for men is three to four units a day, while for women it is two to three units a day.