Bradford's businesswomen work three times harder in the home than their male counterparts, according to a new survey.

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

The poll also found the heroine of most businesswomen is Baroness Thatcher.

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

The poll found a fifth of men aged over 45 do no housework, while most men spend between two and five hours on domestic tasks.

The survey found 27 per cent of women over 45 have suffered discrimination or harassment, but only one in ten under that age has had similar experiences.

David Robertson, chief executive of Bibby Financial Services, said: "Our survey shows that regardless of whether they have a demanding day job, women still bear responsibility for the majority of domestic chores in the home and struggle to successfully balance the competing demands of work and home life."