Study: two in three people in Lancashire expect not to see family at Christmas with a third willing to breach lockdown rules

Following a recent surge in cases of Covid-19 - the region's total number of cases stands at 80,555 as of Tuesday, September 29 - and a tightening of government guidance and regulation on social distancing, around half of those surveyed by Christmas.co.uk say they would feel far safer having a virtual Christmas this year in the hope that matters improve into 2021.

With the mental health impacts of an extended lockdown being a pressing topic of conversation, the pitfalls of a Christmas isolated from loved ones is thrown into stark relief, with 86% of people saying that Christmas is the most difficult time of year to spend without family around followed by New Year on nine percent.

Adding to the potential malaise, the current state of the economy has led around 50% of people to start saving up funds for Christmas presents early this year, while almost one in five say they will need to borrow money to cover costs.