A Halifax poll found 34 million people in the UK wear a total of £8.6 billion of jewellery every day - and Northampton sits at the top of the league for the most won on a daily basis.

According to the survey, the average person in the town wears up to £469 of rings, earrings, bracelets and watches every day. Glasgow (£468) came second with Wrexham (£460) in third.

Josephine Tyrrell, manager of Bonds jewellers, in St Giles Street, said: "I think it's very good news. It does make me smile but I don't think it's an affluent thing, rather it's a style thing and people in Northampton have got plenty of style, especially our customers."

Nicholas Billing, shop manager of Michael Jones Jeweller, in Gold Street, said: "Initially I was surprised but I suppose, from our perspective, perhaps I shouldn't be.

"We do sell some very nice jewellery. We sell a lot of high quality watches like Rolex, Cartier and Breitling.

"We have found that the quality of the products we sell has gone up over the years."

But Robert Dunstall, owner of St Gyles jewellers, also located in St Giles Street, said: "The expression 'bling' says it all to me. It's quantity and not quality."

The research, carried out by Halifax Home Insurance, also showed that in some areas, people collected and stored high value jewellery inside their homes.

The poll found Britons kept a total of £52 billion worth of jewellery in their homes, with the average UK house containing gems worth £1,986. In Northampton, this figure was £2,919.

The figures also showed 28 per cent of people had their jewellery valued but had forgotten to update their insurance.

Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax, said: "We would advise anyone wearing particularly valuable items outside the home on a daily basis to make sure that they are fully insured for loss, damage or theft when outside their property."