Do you know which neighbours spy on you?

Research from the organisation has revealed the lengths to which Brits go to spy on people next door, with nearly a third of people in Sheffield admitting to regular curtain twitching and 19 percent saying they turn the television down to listen to arguments.

The survey of 1,000 people found those living in Sheffield are likely to keep tabs on their neighbours’ movements, with one in five confessing to being fascinated by their comings and goings. A total of 13 percent peep over the garden fence to get a better look at their neighbours, and as many as three percent regularly come out into the street in their dressing gown, in the style of Last of the Summer Wine’s Nora Batty.

Offering to take neighbours’ kids to school to get all the gossip, inviting themselves over to take a closer look at home improvements, and even peering through letterboxes were other ways people living in Sheffield like to keep tabs on nearby residents.

Nearly a fifth (19 percent) of adults in Sheffield class their neighbours as good friends, but as many as 69 percent brushed them off as “people they talk to from time to time”. However, only three percent said they didn’t know any of their neighbours and the same number of people claimed they couldn’t stand them.

Nearly a fifth said they were envious of their neighbours’ home improvements, with a holiday of a lifetime and a new car the most common things to be jealous of.

A third were green with envy when nearby residents got a new conservatory or orangery and over 17 percent were left bitter and twisted when they purchased a new sofa. A new kitchen and a new piece of art also left people of Sheffield envious.

A spokesperson for Anglian Home Improvements said: “From time to time we are all guilty of seeing what our neighbours get up to. It’s only natural to have a look out of the window if you see something going on in your neighbourhood and to take an interest when someone is having work done to their house.

“Although it may seem annoying to have neighbours who curtain twitch, having nearby residents who know your movements can actually be a blessing when it comes to home security, so it’s actually not all bad!”