BRITAIN is a nation of shame-less liars. We think nothing of telling porkies to partners and friends, fiddling expenses or pocketing overpaid change.

I was shocked to learn this week that half of all Britons are prepared to tell lies at the drop of a hat. Research revealed that untruths range from little white lies to huge whoppers aimed purely at personal gain. They include people phoning in sick when they are feeling fine, pretending they have cooked a ready-meal themselves and lying about their age.

It's disconcerting to know so many of us are dishonest. We constantly hear of the Government 'massaging' crime, employment and other sets of official statistics. And people intent on telling the truth, such as the House of Commons sleazebuster Elizabeth Filkin, are prevented from doing so. She was forced out of her job because she did it too well.

At a time of year when we're all thinking about self-improvement, wouldn't it be great for us all to tell the truth in 2002? The trouble is, if other people are anything like me - and the research, by an Internet bank, confirms they are - they'll have already broken it. I was ashamed when I worked out just how many times since January 1 that I've lied:

1 Telling my husband that the toilet seat "just broke" when I was the culprit for being a bit too rough while trying to move it slightly.

2 Telling friends that we really liked their Christmas present when the first thing we did was hide it in the back of a cupboard.

3 Spouting all sorts of rubbish to the children such as "Tomatoes make you have hair like Barbie" or "Don't eat another sweet or all your teeth will fall out".

4 Convincing British Telecom that I posted their cheque well before Christmas and it "must be delayed somewhere" when I knew full well that it was sitting, forgotten, on the mantelpiece.

5 Telling a friend I couldn't afford a night out at the cinema because I didn't really want to go.

6 Telling a friend I haven't seen for a while that I was a "size 12 on top and 14 below". Well, we were on the phone. I should have said 16/14.

Unfortunately, I have already had a day off sick from work this year and feel I must point out that it was entirely genuine and not taken purely to add meat to this column.

February... that's when we should all start telling the truth. Get the lies out of the way in the first month of the year, then turn over a new leaf. Trouble is, I can see people losing a lot of friends through speaking their mind. Maybe if we call the little untruths that get us through the day 'fibs' and leave the real lies to the politicians. What's a little dishonesty if it gets us off the hook?

PRINCE Harry is upset by the revelations of his alleged drinking and drug taking. He may have had counselling over his misdemeanours, but now he's back at Eton. An English public school is hardly the place to recover from his first such experience.

While being awash with discipline, boarding schools don't provide the loving, caring environment which a child needs, particularly when they've got problems.

Boarders lack parental guidance, love and comfort, which day pupils have access to morning and night.

I know the allegations were not linked to Eton, and I'm not saying that children who go home on a night always fare better - many don't - but the stiff-upper-lip mentality of boarding school can only serve to make anyone with a problem feel worse.

Updated: 10:38 Monday, January 21, 2002