Britons becoming ruder because of hectic lifestyles

As a nation we are increasingly forgetting the common courtesies such as saying please and thank you, while other hallmarks of good manners, such as sending handwritten thank-you letters and holding the door open, are slipping.

Only one in five people always make a point of saying please when asking for something, according to research, and an ungrateful 91 per cent do not bother to say thank you.

A poll of 20,000 people found that at least one in 10 people claim they would not apologise if they bumped into a passer-by and 12 per cent would happily let a door slam in someone's face if they were in a hurry.

The researchers found that 30 per cent of shoppers would barge past others to get to their goods as quickly as possible, and 42 per cent would be prepared to snatch an item from someone else if it was the last on the shelf.

Four in 10 shoppers will tut and mutter loudly when stuck in bustle of a busy store, while 38 per cent would think nothing of queue-jumping.

Overall, 39 per cent of shoppers admit they can be incredibly selfish and bad mannered out on the high street.