The Church of England's Head of Research and Statistics has released a new book this week revealing that people across Britain are increasingly unhappy despite being more prosperous than ever before, the Church of England newspaper has reported.

Rev Lynda Barley has launched 'Community Value', a book showing that local churches are highly regarded by their local communities, and act as a type of "community glue".

With the increasing fragmentation of British society, the book seeks to identify ways in which the Church engages with the communities around itself.