Once upon a time, our neighbours were our friends, people we would speak to regularly and even have round for tea, but it seems our attitudes have changed.

If your neighbours were in a line-up, would you recognise them?

If your answer if no, you are far from alone.

A new study by Eden Project Communities for The Big Lunch has revealed nine out of 10 people in London would not be able to identify all their neighbours in a police line-up.

One in 10 people in London couldn’t identify a single one of their neighbours, according to the poll of 4,000 people.

So, have we lost touch with our sense of community? Are we too wrapped up in our own lives to be able to take the time to say hello to our neighbours?

The research shows people working in London have a bigger sense of belonging to their workplace than they do their neighbourhood.

London is a non-committal area, it seems, with people saying they have a strong urge to get to know their neighbours better, but never getting around to it.

People in Yorkshire have the strongest sense of belonging to their neighbourhoods over all other regions in the UK, closely followed by Scotland.

The Big Lunch is an event held each year to encourage people to get together with their neighbours to share food and fun.

Peter Lefort, London spokesman for The Big Lunch, said: “The research shows how much potential there is for people living in London to get to know their neighbours better, replacing anonymous neighbourhoods with closer ties and stronger communities."

Even celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott is getting involved, and said: “It’s no secret that I love food. I love preparing it, cooking it and serving it. But the thing I love most about food is sharing it.

This research shows just how important it is that we reach out to our neighbours and there’s no better way to do this than through food. You don’t need to be a gourmet chef to host a Big Lunch, just rustle up some simple snacks and invite the neighbours round.”

This year's Big Lunch will be held on June 3.