They are known for their Gallic froideur and now France's reputation as the most unwelcoming country in Europe has been confirmed.

The French have been named and shamed as the most hostile natives on the continent in a poll of 3 000 British tourists.

Germany emerged as the second most unfriendly country and Belgium was third with Spain and Turkey taking fourth and fifth place.

Three quarters of those polled said they had been subjected to rudeness in France while two thirds said they had experienced the same thing in Germany.

Holland was hailed as the most welcoming country in Europe followed by Greece, Portugal and Italy.

Several Scandinavian countries also made it into the top ten for hospitality. A spokesperson for www.OnePoll.com, which carried out the research, said: "A surprising number of people have experienced rudeness from French people.

"But this could be for a number of reasons. The language barrier is still a major problem as the majority of people who travel to France can't speak the language.

"And our perception of the French not liking us very much is also bound to cause friction from time to time.

"On the upside Holland came out very well in the poll. Brits seems to appreciate the laid-back Dutch way of life."

The study also revealed one in five Brits believe the French to be generally grumpy while 19 percent levelled a similar accusation against the Germans.

One in ten said they thought the French didn't smile very often and a similar amount described the French as "miserable".

Some even went as far to say they would not return to France because they didn't like the attitude of the locals.

However, Holland was the clear winner among the friendly countries, scoring almost twice as many votes as second-placed Greece. - Daily Mail