Are you a secret redhead?

MILLIONS of Britons could be secret redheads carrying ‘silent’ genes.

A study of more than 5,000 British people’s DNA indicates that around four in ten of us carry the gene that makes hair red, but the recessive gene is not switched on to affect hair colour.

However, the gene means that you could have the increased health risks that afflict redheads, such as increased sensitivity to pain, skin cancer, Parkinson’s disease and even Tourette’s syndrome.

People with Scottish or northern England ancestry are more likely to be ‘secret’ redheads.