A quarter of adults in the UK are set to buy pre-loved gifts for children this Christmas, according to Oxfam.

A study of 2,000 adults who celebrate the festive season found a quarter (24%) will likely buy pre-loved gifts for children this year – with the most popular gifts being pre-loved books (34%), toys (30%) and board games (17%).

The YouGov survey, carried out on behalf of Oxfam, found that helping the planet and saving money are key drivers for sustainable shoppers this year.

More than half of Brits set to buy pre-loved gifts said the main reason is because it is better for the environment (57%) and cheaper than buying new (51%).

Oxfam’s retail trading director Lorna Fallon said: “Shopping second-hand is such a wonderful way of celebrating Christmas, especially with children.

“You can find anything they might possibly want – from a cuddly teddy, to a board game or new adventure book.

“By shopping pre-loved, you are not only saving some precious pennies at a time of year when they are needed most, but you are finding something unique for your child, that is also better for the planet.”

British people also think pre-loved presents are more thoughtful, with one in four (27%) saying the main reason they would likely buy a second-hand gift at Christmas is because it will be “unique”.

Six in 10 (60%) say they would feel comfortable receiving a pre-loved present for Christmas, while almost four in 10 (38%) said they feel comfortable giving a second-hand present to someone else.

For adults, the most popular choice of pre-loved gift is books, with nearly half (49%) saying they would likely gift second-hand books this Christmas, while a quarter (24%) said they would likely gift pre-loved clothes.

Ms Fallon said: “Christmas shopping can feel overwhelming at times, but second-hand shopping offers an alternative where you can find a real range of thoughtful, unique gifts which help reduce waste and conserve precious resources at the same time.

“By swapping just a handful of presents this year for a pre-loved gift, you can help to stretch the Christmas budget, while also helping to raise vital funds to tackle poverty and inequality across the world.”