London mayor calls for research into the effect of night work

Night czar Amy Lamé says there also need to be discussions about the emotional impacts of night work

More research needs to be done on the effect working at night has on people's health, the mayor of London said.

Sadiq Khan and the capital's night czar Amy Lamé heard of health issues faced by night workers during a wellbeing event held in Vauxhall on Thursday.

The mayor called for the government to recognise the "distinct needs of night workers", with his office saying 1.3m people work between 18:00 and 06:00.

The government said there were protections in place for night workers.

According to research by consultancy firm The Liminal Space, which hosted Thursday's event, people who work at night are 37% more likely to have a heart attack.

They are 44% more likely to have diabetes, the research added.

The study also said people who work at night are six times more likely to get divorced than those who work during the day.

Sarah Douglas, director at The Liminal Space, called night workers a "hidden army that keep our 24/7 society running".

At her company's wellbeing event, staff at FIRE nightclub described the impact their work has, from "terrible headaches" to getting "four or five hours" of sleep a night.

Ms Lamé said: "We talk a lot about the health implications but not so much around the emotional implications of working at night."

Mr Khan called on the government to commission more research into how the impact of working at night could be reduced.

The government said protections already in place for night workers included free health assessments to see if they are fit to work nights.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]