HUNDREDS of "seriously disillusioned" young teachers in Cheshire plan to turn their backs on the profession in the next five years.

A fifth of staff under 35 are looking for jobs elsewhere because they are fed up with heavy workloads and poor quality of life, a county council survey reveals.

"A haemorrhage of this scale from the younger and middle years of the workforce will be unsustainable," said the county's director of education David Cracknell.

"Even if Cheshire recruits well from young graduates - and the competition will be fierce - it will be difficult to balance such a loss."

He added: "What is crucial is the extent to which we can hold on to the teachers we have, especially those under 45."

The most significant factors influencing teachers' intentions to quit in the survey were pressure, work demands and attitudes towards teachers held by the media and the government.