TO use a line from the cult children's TV show, Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead?

People are being urged to get off their sofas and make the most of the August bank holiday, after research showed two in three adults will spend the weekend watching the box.

Britons were also accused of "a lack of national purpose" with 36 per cent admitting they were not interested in getting involved with community events or celebrating their national heritage on public holidays.

Instead they preferred to stay indoors in front of the TV or surfing the internet. Just 14 per cent said they visited their family and friends or enjoyed a traditional stroll in the countryside.

And while bank holidays have traditionally been used to catch up on home improvements, only nine per cent of people said they attempted any DIY last year.

The results come after calls for the August bank holiday to be turned into a national day to celebrate Britishness.

In June, immigration officer Liam Byrne suggested using the day to hold street parties, show films and listen to a speech from the Queen to foster better community spirits.

And last year, New Labour think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggested holding a new bank holiday to honour community heroes in November.

But researchers said their findings showed that public holidays lack any real meaning beyond "having a day off work" for the typical Briton.

"There is still a growing debate around adding an extra bank holiday to the calendar, particularly one that celebrates a shared identity or sense of Britishness," explained James McCoy for Mintel, the company behind the research.

"For this to work, people need to get off the sofa and get involved, much like our overseas counterparts who often celebrate national days with fiestas and carnivals.

"Brits are simply not proactive or spontaneous during their bank holidays, preferring to lounge around the house or catch up on some rest."

The August bank holiday is the last extra day off that British workers will have before Christmas Day.

Some 41 per cent of people said they thought they should have a public holiday in April to celebrate St George's Day. But 38 per cent hoped to even out the gap between the August bank holiday and Christmas with a day off to mark Remembrance Day on November 11.