Research shows that residents like to moan

According to new figures from company Ombudsman Services, people in Portsmouth made 265,000 complaints last year.

The firm, which deals with disputes between companies and consumers that have been going on for more than eight weeks, also estimated that another 290,000 complaints could have been made, meaning people are potentially missing out on the compensation that they deserve.

With the 2011 census registering 205,056 residents, the statistics worked out at 1.3 complaints per person.

Ombudsman Services has also put together some advice for lodging a complaint.

Advice includes avoiding getting emotional, not being embarrassed and keeping records of all correspondence, paperwork, bills and receipts.

Chief ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: ‘Those who live in Portsmouth are actively standing up for their consumer rights, but there’s still more that can be done by businesses.

‘Complaining doesn’t have to mean making a fuss – there’s help out there and we would encourage anyone with an issue to come forward.’