The research, which polled 2,266 employers across the UK throughout February, found that many employers have at some stage given preference to someone because of their attractive looks rather because of skills and experience.

- 88% of respondents who interview admit that they have at some stage chosen candidates because they were attractive rather than based on skills and experience
- 92% of respondents say that appearance at the job interview can influence their decision on who gets the job

David Price, Head of Diversity for Peninsula said: "I was surprised at the number of people who have based an employment decision on looks and it’s turning into a new form of modern discrimination.  Using such a strategy is not without legal risk."

Price added. "Before you label people because of their appearance, look at their qualifications and experience.  Am I surprised at the survey findings? No not at all, people not only look at qualifications but they buy into the person; therefore appearance and attractiveness can have an influence on who you employ. However the decision should be based on qualifications and experience.  I can understand that employers want to choose candidates that fit in well within the company but recruiting an individual on looks alone is clearly not acceptable."

There is a real danger that you may discriminate indirectly on the basis of age and sex without intending to do so and could potentially open the door to costly litigation.

Price said: "The overweight, tattooed and unattractive are not currently specifically protected by discrimination laws but employers should beware of breaking disability discrimination if appearance of being overweight is due to illness."