A fifth of travellers ignore mobile phone regulations on planes, according to a survey.

As many as 21 per cent said they did not always follow the mobile phone rules when flying, the poll by travel agent sunshine.co.uk found.

The most common phone fault was turning a mobile back on again earlier than allowed after landing, followed by not switching a device off at the requested time.

Other misdemeanours included trying to access the internet during a flight and trying to send text messages or make calls while airborne.

A total of 1,793 UK adults who had travelled on a plane in the last three years were surveyed. Of those who did not follow the rules, 86 per cent pleaded forgetfulness.

But some said they had not followed regulations as they did not think phone usage actually affected the plane.

Sunshine.co.uk managing director Chris Clarkson said: “It seems many choose to ignore what they should and shouldn’t do with their mobile phone during a flight, despite being told clearly by the airline staff.

“There’s still a lot of confusion surrounding what effect mobile phones can have on a plane, but previous incidents have been linked to phones and so airlines choose to be safe rather than sorry.”