Britain is a nation of impulse buyers and credit cards are helping fuel the trend, a new report has revealed.

A study by insurance provider SwiftCover.com has revealed many people ditch sensible shopping habits when tempted by a sudden purchase and 14 per cent of people admit not considering the price of a must-have item.

It discovered that 15 per cent of people realised they cannot afford the item only once they have bought it, with many struggling to return impulse-buys they later regret.

Tina Shortle, spokeswoman for SwiftCover.com, suggested that Britons are "addicted" to spending first and paying later.

"But that means that we’ve also dropped our guard when it comes to ‘sensible’ habits like shopping around and as a result we are getting stung by shops’ returns policies," she continued.

Recent figures collated by financial advice charity Credit Action have shown consumer borrowing through credit cards, retail finance deals, overdrafts and unsecured loans rose to an average of £4,700 per British adult in November.