Britain, it seems, is becoming more Israeli — in one important respect at least.

According to a new survey, falafel is fast becoming the post-pub fast-food of choice.

Manchester’s famous curry mile is fast becoming falafel central, says Professor David McEvoy, who has been tracking the city’s immigrant population for 20 years.

Middle Eastern restaurants are fast taking over from Indian eateries — up 13 per cent in the past seven years. And the common denominator among them is falafel.

Now, all that Mancunians need to do in order to complete their transformation in to Sabras is to start chewing sunflower seeds prodigiously and to get into the habit of ordering falafel when not under the influence of 13 pints of Boddingtons.