THE Government is today urged to agree three extra bank holidays. This includes one to help break up the "slog" between the end of summer and the Christmas break.

Research by the TUC showed huge support for extra public holidays, with today the start of the school half-term break being the preferred date.

More than 20,000 people took part in a TUC poll, with four in 10 saying a Monday in late October should become a bank holiday.

A third opted for St David's, St Andrew's or St George's Days, while one in 10 opted for New Year's Eve.

Workers in Wales, Scotland and England have eight public holidays a year and 10 in Northern Ireland, compared with an average of more than 11 across Europe.