A quarter of people fail to show the proper respect to a funeral procession, according to a survey.

Teenagers and those aged up to their mid-40s are likely to be the most ill-mannered, the poll by The Co-operative Funeralcare organisation found.

Scots were the most courteous, followed by those in Northern Ireland and northern England. People in the Midlands were least likely to show funeral corteges respect.

More than 29% of those aged 18 to 44 among the 2,088 people polled were unaware of the tradition of giving way to funeral processions.

As many as 51% did not know that those by the roadside were expected to show respect by stopping what they were doing.

The Co-operative Funeralcare national operations director David Collingwood said: "There has been much talk since the riots this summer about attitudes and respect within society and we have seen a significant shift over the years away from people observing the unwritten rules of funeral etiquette.

"Many people ignore a passing funeral procession and it is not uncommon for pedestrians to purposely disrupt a cortege by using a pelican crossing to stop funeral cars or even cross the road between funeral cars.

"Our research has highlighted generations of people who are unaware of the traditions and etiquette which were once commonplace for people to show to a passing funeral."