LOUD colleagues chatting, coughing or sneezing are the main cause of distraction for office staff, says a new report from Office Angels.

A poll of 1,200 employees also found pointless meetings and being asked silly questions stopped them getting on with their job.

One in 10 admitted their attention was sometimes distracted if they had a crush on a colleague.

Office Angels said so-called "desk-tractions" included annoying mobile phone ringtones and mobiles left on desks ringing unanswered.

But around one in seven of those questioned said they they found distractions a welcome relief from work!

Managing director of Office Angels, David Clubb, said: "Desk-tractions are part of office life and of course we all need breaks and breathers.

"But it's important to be aware of how seemingly innocent actions affect others."

Seventy per cent of those surveyed said loud and chatty colleagues were the main distraction, while 44 per cent also said coughing and sneezing put them off their work. Fifty eight per cent said pointless meetings and silly questions were another hindrance.

Director of locally based Smart Recruitment, Helen Stacey commented: "Coughing, sneezing, chatting and office romances are all examples of distractions that all employees face within the workplace. Whilst some of these are fun and enable us to take a break from work, distractions can also mean a loss of productivity and an increased sense of frustration. One of the best ways to avoid disruptions at work is to change your own focus for instance tuning out to background noise and chatter and working on developing a mental tunnel vision'."

She added: "As we spend a lot of our time at work its natural for office romances to develop, however both parties need to be professional in their attitude particularly if one party is a senior direct line manager of the other."

"Staff also need to think of their own perception within the workplace and the need to keep their work and social life separate," she concluded.