More than half of all office staff in the UK have become so angry at work they have nearly punched a colleague.

Some 53 per cent of workers have been brought to the brink of violence by office rage, with loud-mouthed colleagues cited as the main cause.

Malfunctioning computers, excessive workloads and interruptions during phone calls were also found to make employees' blood boil.

The research, carried out by recruitment agency Pertemps, found women were the most likely to almost resort to violence while males were inclined to shout.

Pertemps chairman Tim Watts said: "The British Crime Survey reveals 1.3 million incidents of violence at work, involving 604,000 workers. There are several pieces of legislation relating to violence in the workplace.

"It is important employers are aware of their responsibilities in this area."

Regular consultation between employers and employees to identify potential areas of conflict was vital to prevent workers being pushed over the edge.

The study, based on research among 450 office workers across Britain, found 64 per cent get angry at colleagues shouting across the office and talking over people at meetings.

IT problems caused 53 per cent to lose their temper, followed by excessive workloads (51 per cent) and interruptions while on the phone (37 per cent).

Some 60 per cent lost their temper regularly but although men shouted more than women (67 per cent compared to 46 per cent), women had the strongest desire to hit people (51 per cent compared to 39 per cent).

Asked how they coped with anger, 31 per cent said they ignored the person responsible.