British businesswomen work three times harder in the home than most men and their heroine is Baroness Thatcher, a survey concludes.

Women under 45 spend 15 hours a week on housework and 90 per cent feel the key to business success is juggling work and home life, according to the research for Bibby Financial Services.

Author JK Rowling was second in the role model poll for young businesswomen while Littlehampton-based Body Shop founder Anita Roddick was third.

A fifth of men over 45 did no housework while most men spent between two and five hours on domestic tasks.