Almost half of the British workforce would like to take on some extra work on the side if their employer allowed them to do so.

According to a poll of almost 1,500 employees by Hirescores.co.uk, 46% of staff in specialist jobs said they had earned money outside of work. Almost half of the employees surveyed had done work for customers they had met during their day job because they claim they were too busy during work hours - although 48% of these admitted they felt guilty.

Almost three quarters of hairdressers (73%), 67% of mechanics, 65% of plumbers, 59% of decorators and 37% of IT technicians had carried out some private work.

Lisette Howlett, managing director of Hirescores.co.uk, said: "I'm not surprised that more and more people are using their trades outside of work to make some extra money, with so many people struggling to make ends meet.

"However, it is important to stress that it is against the law to do this for ‘cash in hand'.  It could have serious insurance, or health and safety implications and I would strongly suggest people didn't do so. It is also worth noting that many employment contracts expressly disallow second jobs or alternative employment. Additionally most employers will have rules against employees making private arrangements with customers they met during their course of employment.  People assume they won't get caught but it is happening more often than you think."