The average amount of money saved by Britons fell by over eight per cent to just over £2,000 in the first few months of the year as people paid off Christmas debts, according to a study yesterday.

Research by ING Direct among 1,300 adults showed they wanted to save more and wanted help from the Government to make it easier to put money aside.

Average savings slumped from £2,205 last autumn to £2,023 in the first quarter of 2010, mainly because of Christmas debts, said the report.

ING Direct chief executive officer Johan de Wit said: "After Christmas, you would expect there to be some seasonal adjustment as Britons re-balance their debts, but it's encouraging to see that so many households are looking to re-build their savings buffer for the remainder of the year."

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