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More than six million of us have fibbed about being vegan or vegetarian, a poll revealed.

One in ten Brits confessed to telling porkies about adopting a trendy meat-free diet - after a surge of interest in climate change thanks to teenage eco warrior Greta Thunberg.

The worst offenders are Londoners and those aged 18 to 24.

They were most likely to boast about being a caring eater - while secretly scoffing bacon rolls, steak bakes and Peri Peri chicken.

There are around 600,000 genuine vegans in the UK and 3 million vegetarians.

(Image: Getty)

But 23 per cent of so-called Generation Z - aged between 18-24 - lying about being vegetarian or vegan.

This tallies with a string of online reports of people claiming a love interest had lied about their diet to secure a date.

They may be influenced by stars like Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Ellen DeGeneres, among the well-known figures who don’t eat animal products.

(Image: Getty)

The proportion lying about their diet was 12 per cent among millennials, aged 25-34, , falling to 9 per cent of people aged 35-44.

And just four per cent of those aged between 45-54 confessed to lying about being vegan or veggie.

No one aged over 55 confessed to a food fib, according to the research by car firm Kia Motors.

(Image: Getty)

Researchers said the top foods we can’t resist are topped by sausage rolls, bacon baps, ham sarnies and chicken.

Kia’s Steve Kitson said: “There is a great deal of attention focused on green issues in society today, and via our research we found that some of the UK public are experiencing ‘green guilt’.”

Lex Rigby, campaigns boss of vegan charity Viva!, said: “Veganism is quite simply the best thing you can do for animals, the planet and your health, and so new vegans should be proud of the choices they make.

“We would urge those who have fibbed about being vegan to give it a go, for real. It is so easy and so accessible, and you will have all the added environmental and health benefits. Veganism is on the rise and shows no sign of slowing down, and so there is no better time to give it a go.”

Last year a US vegan influencer apologised after she was seen on video eating fish.

Vegan lifestyle star Yovana Mendoza Ayres gained notoriety online by sharing her extreme raw vegan diet however it all came crashing down when the infamous YouTuber, 29, was exposed for eating fish with a friend at a restaurant in March 2018.