More than a quarter of the city’s residents have cancelled Christmas because they cannot afford to celebrate due to the cost of living crisis, according to a new survey.

According to a poll by Inventory Planner, 26 per cent of people in Brighton will not celebrate the festive season due to rising costs for food and energy.

Almost one in six people in the city (15 per cent) said they plan to buy no presents for friends or family to save money, with 17 per cent ditching the Christmas tree this year and 16 per cent going without the traditional turkey for Christmas dinner.

Half of shoppers admitted they are worried about being able to afford gifts for the festive period amid rising costs for bills and groceries, with more than a fifth of households (21 per cent) planning to spend less this year than they did last Christmas.

Sara Arthrell from Inventory Planner said: “Many shoppers in Brighton face a nightmare before Christmas, but they are finding clever ways to save money and make sure that the Grinch doesn’t spoil all the fun.”

Ms Arthrell also said that cuts in consumer spending present a challenge for retailers.

She said: “With more than a quarter of consumers cancelling Christmas this year, many retailers are facing a nightmare in the new year being stuck with dangerous levels of excess stock.

“With a shrinking economy and weak consumer confidence, many retailers need to turn their surplus stock into cash quickly and strengthen their cash reserves as they prepare to trade through a recession.”

The poll also revealed popular ways to limit spending over the festive season, with 26 per cent of respondents minimising travel to save on petrol and other travel costs.

Other popular cash savers include making homemade gifts, switching to cheaper Secret Santa presents and opting for cheaper alternatives for wrapping paper, such as old newspapers.

Some households have been working harder to save money for Christmas, with almost one in five of those polled (18 per cent) working extra hours, and 17 per cent working a second job.