Almost one in five men in Swindon are working more than 49 hours per week.

The figure comes from newly published Census data, which shows the number of people in the UK working more than the European limit has broken the three million mark.

The 2001 Census recorded that 19.6 per cent of men living in the borough of Swindon worked over 49 hours per week.

That means Swindonians are getting a slightly easier time of it than employees in England and Wales as a whole, where almost 25 per cent work in excess of 49 hours.

The GMB, the general workers' union, has warned that long hours are a growing problem and may be damaging workers' health.

Kevin Brandstatter, GMB organiser for the Swindon area, said workers in the security and transport sectors, which were exempt from European limits, faced some of the longest working weeks.

Security workers often put in more than 60 hours per week, working 12 hour shifts for five days, he said.

Couriers and short haul dispatch workers often worked six days per week, putting in 10 to 12-hour days.

And in the health service, junior doctors and nursing staff regularly worked more than 48 hours per week.

Women's average hours were far lower, with many working part-time and doing unrecorded work in childcare.

"There's always a lot of press about senior executives working long hours, but in low paid jobs people are doing it either because it's a contractual requirement or because they have to in order to live on the wages," he said.

Britain currently has an opt-out of the EU working time directive, which means individual employees can choose to work more than the European ceiling of 48 hours per week.

But the opt-out is under review this year and unions are calling for a mandatory limit to be enforced across the UK.

Mr Brandstatter said: "You simply can't be at your best if you are continually working more than 48 hours a week.

"By persisting in pushing people to work longer than they are capable of, many Swindon employers are guilty of potentially damaging the health, safety and welfare of employees.

"Employees are being prevented from spending time with families and this leads to social problems of which we are all aware.

"By encouraging longer working hours, the employers and the Government are burning out Britain, and damaging the social fabric of our communities."

Andy Tate