Londoners enjoy spinning a yarn when trying to cover their poor punctuality, with nearly half admitting that they lie about why they are late, according to new research from Transport for London (TfL).

Around one in five Londoners admitted to using the ‘Tube was late’ as an excuse, when only five per cent of those questioned agreed that the train was actually responsible for making them late.

Several respondents even confessed that some early morning loving with their partner was the real reason for their lateness.

The research reveals that Londoners penchant for “just five more minutes” in bed is one of the prime culprits with one in seven admitting they tend to hit the snooze button rather than face the day ahead.

There were also the trusty favourites such as wardrobe crises, makeup malfunctions and partner procrastination resulting in their tardiness.

TfL is promoting its range of Travel Tools to help people avoid transport delays. They include a text messaging service, mid-week e-mails of planned engineering works and email service update boards similar to those found on station platforms.

“With so many ways to get travel information, Londoners will have to become more creative with their excuses,” a spokesman said.