Sussex shoppers will be able to get their hands on a Bounty-free tub of Celebrations chocolates next month.

Customers at selected Tesco Christmas market sites will be able to exchange tubs of the chocolates bought in-store that day with a new limited edition No Bounty Celebrations tub, after a survey by confectionary company Mars Wrigley found that almost one in four people wanted the coconut-filled treat removed from the selection box.

The study, which polled 2,000 Brits aged between 18 and 65, found that 18 per cent would feel irritated if they opened a Celebrations tub to find only Bounty chocolates were left, with 58 per cent claiming such a scenario would lead to a family argument.

However, the research found that Bounty is a tub-favourite for 18 per cent of people, with one in five admitting to keeping their love of the chocolate to themselves.

It follows a Bounty Return Scheme last year, in which Bounty-haters were able to return their unwanted chocolates and swap them for Maltesers after the Christmas period.

Emily Owen, Mars Wrigley’s head of Celebrations festive cheer, said: “Christmas is the time for giving - but it seems this year, the British public are keen for us to take away… Bounty.

“Last year, we gave customers the opportunity to return their unwanted Bounty chocolates. Now, off the back of public demand, we’re trialling taking them out of the tub altogether.

“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone! And to those loyal (and secret) Bounty lovers out there, there’s still a chance they’ll make a return after the trial.”

The trial is rolling out across 40 Tesco Christmas market locations, with four in Sussex.

The roadshow will arrive in the county on December 3 at the Tesco Extra in Fishbourne Road, Chichester.

The Christmas market will then travel to the Tesco Extra branch in New Road in West Durrington on December 4, the Tesco Superstore in Burgess Hill on December 5, and finally the Tesco Extra branch in Wickhurst Lane in Horsham on December 7.

For those not near one of the participating stores, shoppers at Tesco can enter an exclusive text to win competition with chances to win Bounty-less tubs.

Details for the competition, which takes place between November 16 and December 7, can be found on Tesco’s website.