FAITH in the future strength of the stock market is slowly returning, according to a survey.

The Abbey National found two-thirds of investors believe the equities will recover in the next five years.

The report showed the majority of people whose financial investments had been affected by the past four years of decline were confident the market would regain strength.

A quarter said they thought it could recover in two years, while nearly a fifth thought it would take three years.

Overall, 23 per cent of more than 2,000 adults surveyed said they thought recovery would take more than five years.

The most confident investors were in Wales, with 75 per cent predicting recovery in five years. In the East Midlands, only 54 per cent said it could occur within that time frame.

With the stock market reaching its lowest level for seven years in March, more than half of the respondents said now was the right time to invest.

Pak Chan, Abbey National's head of investments, life and pensions marketing, said: "Capital protection is now more at the forefront of investors' minds due to the recent volatility of the stock market.

"We are providing investors with two excellent choices with either full capital protection, or a slightly higher risk level for potentially higher returns."