Daily Mail: The overbearing and interfering mother-in-law is often jokingly portrayed as most people's least favourite family member.

And now a new poll on modern families reveals this is a reality for almost a quarter of Britons – who said their pet dog was more important to them than their in-laws.

Of the 2,071 people surveyed, 22 per cent cited their pets as a close family member, above in-laws (21 per cent) but below grandparents at 26 per cent.