This year, residents across south west Hertfordshire will spend approximately £6 on ‘secret Santa’ gifts, according to new research by British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops, who are urging the public to choose charity shops this Christmas.

The festive practise, which is considered to be a great British tradition for one in three people (33 per cent), leaves many in fear of drawing the name of the office boss, with one in five (19 per cent) saying they can’t take the pressure.

The tactics behind the gift purchases of those in East Anglia were also exposed, with a quarter (25 per cent) taking advantage of the anonymity secret Santa offers to buy inappropriate gifts for their colleagues.

Others confessed to using the opportunity to impress their office crush (10 per cent) while some (four per cent) even fixed secret Santa to stir things up between office rivals.

The region’s most popular gifts were socks (17 per cent), novelty mugs (21 per cent) and deodorant (six per cent). One in eight (12 per cent) of us even admitted to having received something “wholly inappropriate”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the best/worst secret Santa gift you have received? Email: claire.lomas@london.newsquest.co.uk