Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, has ordered a clamp-down on long email chains between CPS staff and police.

The move is aimed at speeding up charging decisions, The Times reports.

Mr Parkinson said: “Many issues are just solved quicker through a call rather than through endless email exchanges.”

He said members of staff “who are a bit older” are “used to picking up the phone”, and it appeared to be a “generational thing”.

“Seemingly simple measures, such as encouraging lawyers and police to pick up the phone, can make a big difference,” he added.