Teachers, window cleaners and cotton workers have been identified as among the bravest professions during World War I, according to a study.

Online history website Ancestry.co.uk said an analysis of 2.8 million service records from 1914-1920 highlighted how ordinary workers with barely any military training risked their lives on the front line.

Most medal winners were miners or agricultural labourers, but professions such as teaching and window cleaning featured strongly, said the report.

Fishermen, doctors, barbers and policemen were also named among the top 10 professions for medal winners, said Ancestry.

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