The French have admitted they are "rude, stroppy, and slothful" in a new survey about what they think of their own behaviour.

The poll revealed 97 per cent of Paris public transport users believed fellow travellers were "ill-mannered" and lacked civility.

The biggest gripe was people forcing their way onto trains before other passengers had got off.

Other irritations were passengers talking too loudly on mobile phones, and people sprawling over two seats in packed carriages.

Also included in the list of annoyances were queue-jumping at ticket counters, leaping over barriers without paying, putting feet up on seats, eating in public with one's mouth open and leaving litter behind.

The finding of the study by Paris transport company RATP has prompted travel bosses to launch a campaign urging their customers to be more polite.

Posters displayed on buses and the Paris metro and rail network show a hen squarking into a mobile phone, a buffalo fighting its way onto a busy train and a sloth lounging over two train seats.

Sociologist Julien Damon, who helped carry out the RATP survey, said: "These types of bad behaviour have always existed, but what has changed is that we are less prepared to tolerate them.

"Our behaviour is more and more geared towards cleanliness and hygiene, like spitting on the ground or smoking in a restaurant now both very frowned upon, and less about common courtesies like simply being polite and nice to each other."

A follow-up survey found 63 per cent of people said the poster campaign had made them stop and think about their own behaviour, and that they would try and be better-mannered in future.

The study comes two years after a separate survey of foreigners visiting Paris voted them the rudest people in Europe.

The TripAdvisor website research found tourists thought the French capital had the least friendly locals, the rudest taxi drivers and the most hostile and aggressive waiters.----

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9429548/French-admit-they-are-rude-stroppy-and-slothful.html