A Sussex MP has stepped up his campaign for extra public holidays with a call for a day off on St George's Day.

Peter Bottomley, Tory MP for West Worthing, has signed a Parliamentary motion urging the Government to mark the day of England's patron saint - April 23 - by letting people staying off work.

It is the second annual public holiday Mr Bottomley has called for in less than a year.

The early day motion, backed by a total of six MPs, says St George's Day is "an opportunity for all the people of England to celebrate their country's heritage, values and traditions".

It asks ministers to ensure that the Cross of St George flag is flown from all public buildings on the day, encourages local authorities, schools, organisations and businesses to fly the flag "proudly", and urges fellow MPs to support a campaign to establish April 23 as an annual public holiday "so that the people of England may be united in celebrating their country's great achievements and rich history".

Last summer, Mr Bottomley joined a separate campaign to introduce a new Community Day bank holiday to celebrate and encourage "community action".

The holiday, on an undetermined date, would aim to recognise "the importance of the often unsung efforts of volunteers and community groups and the role they play in promoting the diversity and variety which is an important part of the values that bind the United Kingdom together".

Even with an extra day off, British workers would still enjoy fewer public holidays than the European Union average.

The UK currently marks eight bank holidays a year, compared with 12 in Italy, 13 in Austria and up to 14 in Spain and Portugal.