Northern families in Britain spend more time together and argue less frequently than those in the south, a survey published yesterday reveals.

Families in the north also share more interests and live at home longer with their parents than their southern counterparts.

A fifth (22 per cent) of northerners and a third of those living in the Midlands (32 per cent) either live, or plan to live, with their parents beyond the age of 24, but over a third (37 per cent) of southerners leave home by the time they turn 20. London families are the most isolated in Britain – one in five admit to not respecting their parents and 20 per cent fail to get along with their siblings.

With Christmas approaching, the research identifies that northern families will be spending the most time together with over 65 per cent planning to spend the festive season in the company of their extended family, compared to only 42 per cent in the south.

And it’s not just Christmas, as 60 per cent of families in the north claim to sit together for family meals at least three times a week – a figure only rivalled by those living in the Midlands, where 65 per cent sit down with the family three or more times in an average week.

These findings contrasted sharply with southern families where less than a third of families (31 per cent) admit to regular weekly family meals.

The research also revealed northern families are far more likely to stay together or live in close proximity than those in the south. Some 20 per cent of those living in the north claim to see their parents every day – a figure that dwarfs the 14 per cent of people living in the south who see their parents daily.

Families in the north seem to avoid family tension, with a third (34 per cent) of Scots and northerners claiming they never have family feuds compared to 15 per cent of those living in the south.

London is once again identified as a hotspot for family tension with 22 per cent of Londoners admitting to not respecting their parents.