The mother in law, still a relative sore point, remains one of the top causes of arguments

Les Dawson once said he knew when his mother-in-law was coming round because the mice threw themselves on to the traps. Sadly, it seems that many of us feel the same way. Mothers-in-law are one of the most common causes of arguments between British couples, a survey has found. Researchers found that poor budgeting and a lack of savings regularly cause couples to fall out, as does women being lumbered with too many domestic duties. The top ten reasons also included drinking habits, hoarding objects, doing the washing up, deciding what to watch on the TV and the time it takes to get ready. The study by electronics firm Philips found that one in ten of us has a fight with our partner daily, while one in twenty has several fights per day. Spokesman Deneice Harwin said: в