A study from a home insurance group has revealed that more than ten percent of parents will admit to chucking away a brand new Christmas toy because it gets broken.

One in seven new toys will not see through Christmas Day, which means that around £1.1 billion worth of new toys will end up in the bin.

Throwing away a new toy not only upsets the child but also the parents too, with half of parents stating a ruined toy ruins Christmas.

Mike Pickard, head of risk and underwriting at the firm, said: “Parents are continuing to spend a phenomenal amount of money on Christmas gifts for their children.”

He added: “As accidents can happen and sadly we can’t always avoid the tears and tantrums that follow, we would advise parents to ensure they keep hold of all receipts – particularly for high-value gifts – and consider adding accidental damage cover onto their home insurance policy in the event of a major Christmas mishap.”