A SURVEY has found that people in the North-East are among the stingiest in the country when it comes to giving to charity at Christmas.

The research, carried out by Barclays, revealed that the North-East is a region of Scrooges compared with other parts of the country, with people giving a measly £25 to charity during the festive season, much lower than the national average of £43.

The survey also found that 35 per cent of people in the North-East do not bother to donate anything at Christmas.

But it was not all bad news for people in the North, with residents of North Yorkshire disproving their reputation for being stingy.

North Yorkshire people will donate more than £50 to charity during Christmas.

The findings also looked at how much people in the region spend on festivities. In the North-East, the average that people spend on festivities was £820, which is £100 more than the national average.

People in North Yorkshire are slightly more reserved, but still spend about £30 more than the national average of £718.

But the survey has been described by charity bosses in the region as unfair, with many claiming that people in the North-East give as much as they can.

Helen Moffatt, general manager of the charity Darlington Mind, which helps people affected by mental illness, said: "I think people in the North-East are very generous, and with so many on the breadline with lower incomes, what they can't give in money they make up for in time, which is invaluable.