Traditional table manners are fast dying out as majority of people don’t hesitate to bring their mobile phone, laptop or games console to the dinning table, a new study has revealed.

It found that the majority of Britons no longer eat together as a family.

The research revealed that putting the knife and fork together when they have finished, and closing their mouths when they eat are also no longer seen as necessary by many.

The study of 2,000 adults found that four in ten would think nothing of using a smart phone to make calls, text or check emails while eating with the family.

Ten percent admitted to working on their laptop while eating, and 13 percent of families allow a mountain of toys – including games consoles – to rest next to the dinner plates.

More than half of the adults surveyed said that they did not even bother cutting up their food properly, preferring to tear pieces off with their teeth, while 36 percent gobble all their food in just a couple of minutes.

Four out of ten didn’t wash their hands before dinner, the study found.

“Food is an important part of family life and dining together is a great way to spend quality time with loved ones, which should be an enjoyable experience for all,” the Daily Mail quoted Emma Gray, spokesman for Birmingham Food Fest, which conducted the study, as saying.

“With family meal times becoming more and more rare, people should be making the most of the time they do have together – without the distractions of magazines, laptops and mobiles,” she added.