NEW research may come as bad news for long suffering partners and wives.

A study has found men need to get together with their friends more often, as male bonding is good for their overall health.

Professor Robin Dunbar, a leading psychologist at Oxford University, published the report, which shows that whilst speaking to mates is valuable, it is not enough for men.

He said to experience the real benefits of friendship, men must meet up in the flesh at least twice a week and actually 'do stuff'.

It also demonstrates men who keep strong and well-maintained social groups are healthier, recover from illness more quickly and tend to be more generous.

Despite these findings, 42% of men claim they only manage to meet their friends once a week and a further 30% struggle to catch up that frequently - highlighting a necessity for men to invest more in their mates if they want to live better, richer and more fulfilled lives.

The report, commissioned for Guinness, found UK men spend one fifth of their day socially interacting with people from their network of around 150 acquaintances, mainly through social media, text and phone.

However the research proves men need to actually get together in person to prevent the quality of their friendships eroding and, more importantly, experience the benefits associated with strong male bonds.