The inability of men to multitask has gone down as a given in the battle of the sexes – but it seems the news hasn’t reached council chiefs.

Birmingham City Council says there is ‘no scientific evidence to support the popular myth’ that men cannot carry out more than one job at a time.

Staff at one of Britain’s biggest local authorities have even been warned against repeating the claims.

Birmingham City Council says there is ‘no scientific evidence to support the popular myth’ that men cannot carry out more than one job at a time

The declaration was welcomed by author Kathy Lette, who said: ‘Men saying they can’t multitask is a biological cop-out.

Blokes have got away with that excuse for too long, leaving women to fix the photocopier with one hand while signing off on financial deals with the other and stirring the tea with one foot.’

However, experts say the whole notion of multitasking by either sex is shaky. Cambridge University psychology professor Nicola Clayton said: ‘I don’t think anyone is any good at it, irrespective of gender.’

Bimingham staff have also been warned not to use the term ‘black magic’ as it could offend pagans.

The council said its ‘equality and diversity toolkit’ would help ‘staff challenge stereotypes and myths’.