'More than half of women' sexually harassed at work, survey reveals

More than half of women in Britain have been sexually harassed at work, new figures have revealed.

The survey categorised harassment as ranging from inappropriate jokes to physical assault.

Of the women asked, 53% said they had experienced some form of harassment in the workplace, according to the ComRes poll commissioned by Radio 5 live.

Over 2,000 men and women over the age of 18 took part in the research, which found 30% of women and 12% of men had been targeted by a member of senior management.

One in 10 women said the experience had forced them to leave their job.

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Some 27% of respondents, both men and women, said the harassment took the form of inappropriate jokes, 15% said they were the victims of inappropriate touching, and 13% were subject to verbal harassment.

The figures come in the wake of a torrent of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who is facing claims of rape and sexual assault dating back to the 1980s.

Weinstein has vehemently denied the allegations but said he recognised some of his past behaviour "caused a lot of pain".

The survey indicated over two thirds (67%) of all those who had been harassed said they did not report it.

Men were considerably less likely to report experiences of sexual harassment, the survey suggested, with only 21% saying they felt able to tell anyone.