Award-winning restaurateur, Heston Blumenthal, has said that it is “extremely disappointing” that neurodivergent people in the UK are struggling to find employment.

After commissioning research into poor employment rates he found that almost one-quarter of people with neurodivergent diagnoses have struggled to find full-time employment.

The research, commissioned by the restaurateur and chef who has been diagnosed with ADHD and bipolar, found that more than one in ten (11 per cent) people in the UK have been officially diagnosed as neurodivergent.

Of those, 21 per cent are neither in full- nor part-time paid employment.

The survey of more than 1,000 people found that of those who are neurodiverse, more than half (56 per cent) are in full-time employment and 23 per cent work part-time.

The remaining 21 per cent have no paid work.

When asked if those who are neurodivergent work part-time because they have struggled to find full-time positions due to their diagnoses, 24 per cent agreed this was the case, 67 per cent said no, while 9 per cent preferred not to say.

This figure rises considerably for male respondents.

Two-fifths (40 per cent) of men said they are working part-time because they could not find full-time employment as a neurodivergent person.

Eighteen per cent of neurodiverse women said the same.

The research revealed that the majority of respondents who are neurodivergent did not receive a diagnosis until they reached their late teens.

Almost (23 per cent) were aged between five and 15 years old when they received a diagnosis.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent were aged between 15 and 20 years old; 31 per cent were between 20 and 40; 8 per cent were 40 to 50 years old and 7 per cent were over 50.

The survey also found more than one in ten (13 per cent) of respondents think they are neurodivergent but are yet to be diagnosed.

Two-thirds (67 per cent) said they do not think they have a condition while 21 per cent are unsure.

The percentage of undiagnosed individuals was much higher for women (16 per cent) than men (8 per cent).

Of those who are yet to be diagnosed but think they are neurodivergent, almost three-quarters (74 per cent) work for an organisation, 9 per cent work for themselves, while 18 per cent are unemployed.

Heston Blumenthal OBE, whose restaurants include the world-famous three-Michelin-star Fat Duck in Bray said: "It is extremely disappointing that so many people in the UK who are neurodivergent are struggling to find paid employment.

"These are individuals who are likely to have specialist skills that will enhance a workforce and improve productivity.

"UK business is really missing out by not doing more to make it easier for people with neurodiverse conditions to contribute."