Despite rapidly rising COVID-19 cases and strict government guidance, new data reveals that over a quarter of the British public are still refusing to wear a mask when on public transport.

The study, conducted by Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, found more than 27% of passengers travelling on the tube have admitted to not wearing a mask during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Circle Line is London’s worst offender for shunning masks

The worst offending line was found to be the Circle Line, where almost half (48%) of passengers admit to not wearing a mask, followed by the Hammersmith & City Line (44%) and Waterloo & City Line (43%).

The data showed that passengers in London travelling on the Metropolitan line are the safest, as 73% say they always wear a mask when travelling on the London Underground.

Percentage of London Underground travellers that always wear a mask by line