Bristol parents allow their children to play games on electronic games for up to four hours a day

A shocking nine out of ten Bristol children are allowed to play games on electronic devices for up to four hours a day.

This leaves the city topping a poll of 15 major UK cities whose parents were questioned on how long their children spend on hand held devices, games consoles and computers.

The time is spread across a variety of offenders, including smartphones, laptops, xboxes and Wii.

The survey was carried out by the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) who are concerned about the growing trend of children developing poor posture and mobility issues due to the way they sit.

Parents also reported headaches, back pain and a lack of concentration, all attributed to slumping in front of the games.

STAT spokeswoman, Angela East says: “It’s not about stopping children from gaming and going on computers altogether, but they can do it equipped with tools and strategies designed to maintain good posture and therefore, good health.”

The survey included parents in: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield and Southampton who allow their children to play on gaming devices.