Workers who commute for between an hour and 90 minutes are more miserable than their colleagues.

This is according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics, which found that for every minute added on to journey time, people that travel into work became less satisfied. Those that used taxis or buses experienced the lowest sense of well-being.

Commuters using the rail network felt more anxious, while walkers reported lower morale levels than car drivers. Meanwhile workers who travelled by other modes of transport, such as bikes, appeared to feel most cheerful of all. 

Dr Daniel Newman, from Cardiff University's Sustainable Places Research Institute, commented: "This report says what many of us who spend our mornings and evenings sat in traffic jams or packed like sardines on a rail carriage already know: commuting can be a chore."

The research was based on data from the Annual Population Survey, which questioned respondents on details such as where they worked and how they travelled. 91 per cent of those asked identified themselves as commuters.