A leading authority on British etiquette has revealed how to work in coffee shops in the wake of the new flexibility that came with the pandemic.

       Once the arbiter of everything from handshakes to high-society hobnobbing, Debrett's is now helping people to avoid committing peccadillos while WFC (working from cafés).

       "You must not turn into a table-hogger," the manners guide cautions in its caustic new point of reference.

       Liz Wyse, a Debrett's expert, said: "Don't become so absorbed in your laptop that you neglect to notice queues building up at the counter and people waiting for tables.”

       Sitting glued to a screen with an hours-old cup of coffee will not only cut you off from your surroundings, according to Debrett’s, but also land you on the wrong side of de rigueur café etiquette.

       "If you're settling in for the long haul, order food and drink at regular intervals," Ms Wyse advises to “accept that the primary purpose of a café is to host customers who are meeting friends for a cup of coffee and a chat.”

       “You must never look askance at your near-neighbours because their animated conversation or crying baby is playing havoc with your concentration. That is your problem, not theirs."

       Quashing another modern shibboleth, Ms Wyse said to avoid making video calls "as you will look unprofessional. You don't want colleagues or clients to get the impression that you are casual about your work commitments."

       Do not inflict noise on others

       The guide also takes a – rather dim – view on noise pollution, advising that “if your work involves anything that emits sound”, then “you must always wear headphones or earbuds” because “it is never acceptable to inflict your sound effects on other people”.

       Established in 1769, Debrett's began as a guide to the peerage, expanding over the course of the 20th century to offer etiquette-related maxims on everything from new babies to cancelled plans