Geordies the cheapest when buying Christmas presents, study finds

Geordies are the 'tightest' when it comes to buying Christmas presents for their nearest and dearest, a study has found.

Researchers polled 2,000 Brits to find out who was planning on spending the most - and least - on festive gifts.

The study by Outlet Shopping at The O2 found that the average spend was £275.

If every adult in the UK spent that much, the Christmas shopping list for the country would top £15bn.

Geordies, like Ant & Dec, Cheryl and Jimmy Nail, said they'd spend an average of just £219, while Scots - like Sir Alex Ferguson and Lorraine Kelly - said they'd spend £312.

Fold from Yorkshire were the second most generous, spending £305 on average - despite Scots and Yorkshire folk having a 'reputation for being tight'.

Yorkshire folk are famously tight with money, encapsulated in the saying 'A Yorkshireman is a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out of him'.

Other jokes include that copper wire was invented by two Scotsmen fighting over a penny.

Despite this, the regional spending Christmas list was as follows; 

Who spends the most on their Christmas shopping? 

1 - Scotland - £312

2 - Yorkshire and the Humber - £305

3 - East Midlands - £297

4 - North West - £296

5 - South East - £277

6 - Wales - £259

7 - East of England - £251

8 - South West -£242

9 - West Midlands - £231

10 - North East - £219

Women generally spend more than blokes, forking out £290 on festive gifts, compared to £260 for chaps.

Those over the age of 55 spent the most, £330 on average, compared to £310 for those aged 45-55, £290 for those aged 35-44, £240 for ages 25-34, and £180 for those aged 18-24.

Gareth Dunk, 56, of Newcastle, said he was only planning on spending £100 on gifts, adding: 'I usually give a tenner to the two grandkids, get some perfume for the wife and that's about it.'

Hilary Taylor, 35, of Edinburgh, said she had a budget of £400.

She said: 'I love giving and seeing people's faces when they get something they actually want - I usually spend all year finding and buying gifts for everyone in my family.'

A spokesman for Outlet Shopping at The O2 said: 'The average Brit will be getting all their Christmas shopping done for £275 this year.

'Nationally, Scots will be spending the most, with an average set budget of £312, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at £305.

'The thriftiest Christmases will be happening in the North East, with an average budget of £219 set aside for gifting.'