The most ridiculous reasons British people have given for calling in sick

People test their employers' patience to the limit with implausible reasons such as 'my dog has had a fright'

The landline could ring its last in 2015 (Courtesy Everett Collection/REX)

One in five people pulled a "sickie" to avoid going to work last year in the UK, a poll by YouGov has revealed.

Exaggerating their illness was one of the top reasons lacklustre employees gave for failing to turn up at their place of employment.

The day most people called in unwell this year, February 2, is thought to have cost the economy £34 million.

Yet not everyone offers the standard "feeling ill" excuse - with a huge array of tall tales testing employers' patience to stretching point.

The worst excuses for crying off a day's work were found in a study of 1,000 workers and 1,000 bosses commissioned by mutual healthcare provider Benenden Health.