Half of Britons could not exist without e-mail - with 30 or 40-somethings more addicted than teens, a survey finds.

Fifty per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds told ICM researchers they would not be able to carry on without e-mail, according to a BBC report.

Forty one per cent of teenagers said they relied on e-mail, while 44 per cent of 35 to 44-year-olds said e-mail was vital.

The South East was the most e-mail-reliant region, with 43 per cent of people telling the poll for software firm Nasstar they relied on it.

Wales was the lowest, with only 34 per cent saying e-mail was vital to them.

More women than men - 41 per cent compared with 38 per cent - said they would be lost without access to their inbox.

Chief executive of Nasstar, Charles Black, said: 'The first wave was the mobile phone, and many of us would admit we rely on our mobile and can't remember how we ever survived without it.

'This poll shows that the next phase is the growth of mobile e-mail.'

'While teenagers are passionate about their mobile phones and texting in particular, the older generations are relying more and more on e-mail because of its use in a business capacity.'