THE traditional cup of tea is still the favourite first drink of the day in the North-East, a survey has revealed.

Research by Morphy Richards has revealed that people in the region are more than four times as likely to start the day with tea rather than coffee.

Figures show 24 per cent of savour their first cup in bed and, overall, 72 per cent of adults in the North-East drink tea before anything else. Only 17 per cent prefer to wake up with coffee.

The comprehensive study into the nation's breakfast habits also found that 84 per cent of adults eat something for breakfast every day of the week.

On weekdays, the most popular choices are cereals and milk, toast and yoghurt.

In the North-East, 20 per cent of adults have a cooked breakfast at least once a week, usually at the weekend.

Chris Thompson, marketing director of Morphy Richards, which manufactures kettles, toasters, breadmakers and coffee makers, said: "Daily schedules may get increasingly stressful but breakfast clearly holds an important place in people's lives.

"This survey shows that having time to eat, drink and take in the news before starting the day receives a very high priority.

"The British breakfast is alive and well. Missing our first meal just isn't an option for most of us."