More than a quarter of people have refused to wear a facemask on the tube during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Government made wearing a mask on public transport mandatory earlier this year, with passengers risking being fined £100 and removed from services if caught not complying with the regulations.

A study, conducted by Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, asked 1,507 people how they have used face masks when on public transport.

It found over 27 per cent of passengers travelling on the tube have admitted to not wearing a mask during the pandemic.

The worst offending line was found to be the Circle Line, where almost half (48 per cent) of passengers admitted to not wearing a mask, followed by the Hammersmith & City Line (44 per cent).

The data showed that passengers travelling on the Metropolitan line are the safest, as 73 per cent say they always wear a mask when travelling.

Below is the number of passengers who say they wear face masks on the tube:

Metropolitan Line - 73 per cent

Victoria Line - 71 per cent

Jubilee Line - 64 per cent

Piccadilly Line - 63 per cent

Northern Line - 59 per cent

Bakerloo Line - 58 per cent

District Line - 58 per cent

Central Line - 57 per cent

Hammersmith and City Line - 56 per cent

Circle Line - 52 per cent 

The study also found that in total, 72 per cent of Londoners claim to always wear their mask when travelling on public transport.

Keith Hawes, Director at Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, said: “With new restrictions being put in place regularly, government advice suggests we limit our use of public transport unless it’s absolutely essential. We’re also told to try and avoid peak times, only travelling when transport is quiet to allow for social distancing. 

"The on-the-spot fine for not wearing a mask on public transport is £100 and this will double with each offense up to a hefty £3,200. If you have to travel to work, or have other essential journeys to take, it seems driving may be the safest option at the moment."