PEOPLE in Ealing waste up to £14.4m and those in Hillingdon £12.8m on Christmas presents they suspect their loved ones won’t even like.

Many are worried they will look mean if they don’t.

Across London, the average was £55.29, according to research by Macmillan Cancer Support.

Almost a quarter of those polled admitted they always or often receive gifts they will never use, and around half wish they could agree with family and friends to spend less on presents.

Selflessly, they would prefer to have a donation made to their favourite charity than receive a gift.

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Judy Spence, London Fundraising Manager at Macmillan, said: “If just 10 people donated £45, we could support front-line staff to run our Macmillan Support Line phone service for an hour.

“And, if you gave one donation of around £30, this could pay for one Macmillan nurse for an hour.

“If you’re thinking of swapping a traditional gift for a charity gift this year, Macmillan’s virtual gifts are a great way to make a donation in someone’s name.”

https://shop.macmillan.org.uk/collections/gifts-that-change-lives