Less than half of all people in Northern Ireland consider themselves British, according to a new survey.

Research carried out for the BBC shows Northern Ireland is the region of the UK where the smallest number of respondents said they felt strongly British.

Of those asked in Northern Ireland, 58.6% said they felt Irish, 57.9% said they felt Northern Irish, 56.7% said they felt European, and 56.7% said they felt European - compared to 46.7% for people who felt British.

Over a quarter of recipients said the UK's Brexit vote made them more inclined to vote for a united Ireland.

The survey showed that 29% of people from a Protestant background defined themselves as Irish, compared to only 4% of people from a Catholic background who identified as British.

Eight out of 10 Protestants described themselves as British or Northern Irish, while nine out of 10 Catholics defined themselves as Irish.

It was also found in the event of a future border poll, 45% supported Northern Ireland staying in the UK, while 42% supported Northern Ireland leaving the UK and joining a united Ireland.

The BBC's poll shows the difference between the two sides as much narrower than a survey carried out by Queen's University in May, which showed 50% backing remaining in the UK with only 21% supporting a united Ireland.

The research was carried out in May by polling firm Lucid Talk dealt with a representative sample of 1,336 people across Northern Ireland.

Belfast Telegraph