Civil servants are suffering high levels of stress and overwork - and need more support, a union says.

Almost nine out of 10 complained of overwork or stress in a survey on health and safety, carried out by the Public and Commercial Services union.

Union chiefs are calling for urgent action to improve the civil servants' working lives.

Of several hundred workers who responded, most blamed their stress on staffing levels and workloads.

One in three said it was brought on by bullying and harassment from managers or members of the public.

Others complained of unrealistic targets, inadequate training and lack of support from managers.

The union said the findings proved that urgent action was needed to improve working conditions in government departments.

A spokesman said: "We shall be seeking meetings with ministers in the New Year to try to ease stress because the results of this survey are shocking."

The union will send the survey results to the Cabinet Office.

The government has given its backing to a TUC crackdown on workplace bullying.