The ‘No Phone Zone’ concept has been introduced in Frankie & Benny’s 250 UK restaurants. Diners are encouraged to place their devices in a box on arrival at the table.

The chain said its own research suggested that 72 per cent of British children wanted their parents to spend less time on their phone and more time talking to them.

Around 77 per cent of parents said they felt guilty about the amount of time they spend on their phone, while 67 per cent admitted that their device had come between them and their family.

The poll of 1,500 parents and children also revealed that over a quarter (26 per cent) of parents checked their phones during family mealtimes; 23 per cent checked while their child was talking to them about their day; while 7 per cent admitted to checking while driving their children around.

A spokesman for Frankie & Benny’s said: “We want family to come first when you step into a Frankie & Benny’s and even more so around Christmas.

“We looked at various ways we could encourage people to engage more at the dinner table and we’ve found giving families the chance to part with their devices for a mere couple of hours is a great way to bring them closer and embrace family time.”

Parenting expert Susan Atkins said: “We live in a busy, fast-paced 24/7 digitally connected world, unless we consciously plan not to be.

“Parents are role models in everything that they do and in everything that they say, so by managing their own screen time parents are teaching their kids by example about when and where technology use is appropriate.”

The ‘No Phone Zone’ trial will run in the restaurants until 7 December 2018. The chain will then review the success of its campaign.

The ‘No Phone Zone’ concept has been introduced in Frankie & Benny’s 250 UK restaurants. Diners are encouraged to place their devices in a box on arrival at the table.

The chain said its own research suggested that 72 per cent of British children wanted their parents to spend less time on their phone and more time talking to them.

Around 77 per cent of parents said they felt guilty about the amount of time they spend on their phone, while 67 per cent admitted that their device had come between them and their family.

The poll of 1,500 parents and children also revealed that over a quarter (26 per cent) of parents checked their phones during family mealtimes; 23 per cent checked while their child was talking to them about their day; while 7 per cent admitted to checking while driving their children around.

A spokesman for Frankie & Benny’s said: “We want family to come first when you step into a Frankie & Benny’s and even more so around Christmas.

“We looked at various ways we could encourage people to engage more at the dinner table and we’ve found giving families the chance to part with their devices for a mere couple of hours is a great way to bring them closer and embrace family time.”

Parenting expert Susan Atkins said: “We live in a busy, fast-paced 24/7 digitally connected world, unless we consciously plan not to be.

“Parents are role models in everything that they do and in everything that they say, so by managing their own screen time parents are teaching their kids by example about when and where technology use is appropriate.”

The ‘No Phone Zone’ trial will run in the restaurants until 7 December 2018. The chain will then review the success of its campaign.