New research suggests that UK children have been groomed to become a new generation of shopping addicts by the age of ten.

A survey by the National Consumer Council (NCC) of 1000 youngsters found that 78 per cent of 10 to 12 year olds already say they enjoy shopping.

This trend continues throughout their teenage years especially among young women, an overwhelming 94 per cent of girls aged 10 to 19 admit their passion for shopping.

Young people living in the East Midlands are the most enthusiastic shoppers, closely followed by Yorkshire and Scotland in second place. Children living in East Anglia and the South West are bottom of the 'shopaholic' table.

The NCC survey of 10-19 year-olds reveals that, despite their love of shopping, 78 per cent of young people think that we all buy things we don't really need.

Philip Cullum, deputy chief executive of the NCC, said: "Most of us enjoy shopping from time to time, but the worrying finding from our research is the extent to which young children are already being primed to become shopaholics.

"By the age of 10, most have already been lured into a world of fashionable labels and must-have gadgets. Most young people say that we all buy things unnecessarily, but when it comes to their own trips to the shops, they simply can't stop themselves," he adds.

The article Kids are new 'shopaholics' originally appeared on 999 Today