Old fashioned fry-up off the menu

A fry-up can cost as much as £19 for all the ingredients

Britons are turning their backs on the full English breakfast in favour of healthier alternatives, says a survey.

Just 1% of the population now start their day with a fry-up - compared with half of all Britons in 1958.

The report by Morgan Stanley found people were put off by the high cholesterol along with rising prices.

Jeannine Farhi, managing director of Morgan Stanley's Consumer Banking Group, said: "The great English breakfast is under siege."

The survey for the Savvy Deals website polled 2,000 people and found just 20 ate an old-fashioned fry-up.

In 1976, 18 per cent of Britons were still enjoying a cooked breakfast.

Eating habits

Those polled said a traditional breakfast did not suit their busy lives and healthier eating habits.

This is despite the rise of the Atkins diet which allows fried meat and eggs - as long as its followers do not choose toast or chips to go with them.

It also found shoppers would not get much change from a £20 note for six eggs, a packet of bacon and all the trimmings.

Jeannine Farhi, managing director of Morgan Stanley's Consumer Banking Group, said: "The great English breakfast is under siege.

"If there are just one or two people in the household, the savvy option may be to head for the local greasy spoon to get your fry-up fix," she added.