BRITONS are less honest than they were a decade ago, according to research by academics at Essex University.

A survey of more than 2,000 people found they are more tolerant of extra-marital affairs, smoking cannabis and underage sex than in 2000.

Keeping money found on the street was also seen as more acceptable with fewer than two out of ten people saying it was lacking integrity.

Attitudes towards dropping litter were unchanged.

Only falsely claiming benefits was seen as more dishonest now than 12 years ago.

Professor Paul Whiteley offered poor role models, such as cheating footballers and national journalists hacking phones, as a possible reason for the change in attitudes.

He said: “Gradually people are tending to become more dishonest. They are more willing to tell lies, more willing to tolerate adultery.

“It's slow over time and going on in the background, but pretty evidentially there.”

The findings were released to coincide with the launch of the new Essex Centre for the Study of Integrity.

The centre, based on the university’s Wivenhoe campus, is headed up by Prof Whiteley.

Initially, work will focus on Britain, examining trends in integrity and exploring further if there is a pattern between different factors, such as age and gender, and levels of dishonesty.

In the future the centre hopes to expand and do more comparison between Britain, Europe, and the rest of the world.

Researchers have already looked at figures from a 2010 Europe-wide survey, which placed Britain as sixth most honest.

Portugal topped the chart with Russia in last place.

The centre will also offer a consultancy service, giving private companies and public bodies integrity health checks, auditing past behaviour and examining if the organisation has a culture of honesty.

Prof Whiteley said integrity had an impact on how involved people were likely to be in their local area.

He said: “If social capital is low and people are suspicious and don’t work together, those communities have worse health, worse educational performance, they are less happy and they are less economically developed and entrepreneurial.

“It really does have a profound effect.”

He said integrity seems to be linked to a person’s sense of civic duty, and this could make the findings significant in everyday life.

Prof Whiteley said a low sense of integrity could indicate a lack of willing to take part in schemes such as the Big Society.

He said: “If integrity continues to decline in the future then it will be very difficult to mobilise volunteers to support the Big Society initiative.”

Research into the wider implications of the findings and the importance of integrity on society generally will form part of the remit of the centre in the future.

Ultimately academics think they may be able to define what is seen as honest and dishonest.