BRITS are costing industry about £2.5 billion a year in lost productivity due to their penchant for internet holiday bargains, a new report is claiming. Four out of five workers spend an average of 25 hours a year booking or researching their annual timeo

BRITS are costing industry about £2.5 billion a year in lost productivity due to their penchant for internet holiday bargains, a new report is claiming.

Four out of five workers spend an average of 25 hours a year booking or researching their annual timeout online, according to the SideStep survey.

One in three of the 1,500 people questioned by the internet search firm confessed to using their office computer to hunt down travel deals.

Russ Lemelin of SideStep said: "We are astonished how much time and money is wasted searching for this sort of thing.

"Our research shows that the average Brit checks at least six different sites before booking a holiday.