Crunch is making Britons less generous

THE economic downturn is making Britons mean, with people ignoring friends' birthdays and refusing to buy rounds of drinks in the pub, a survey has found.

Nearly a third of people said they would no longer buy a round when out with friends for fear they would end up out of pocket, according to the poll.

Four out of ten people polled admitted they would now study a restaurant bill carefully to ensure they paid for only what they had ordered, while 27 per cent said they no longer bought their friends birthday presents.

A further 22 per cent of the more than 5,000 people questioned for the survey by Moneysupermarket Vouchers said that they even shunned leavers' collections at work and 37 per cent admitted they would no longer send flowers to say thank you.