Britons are the technology addicts of Europe, according to a slew of figures that chart the voracious national appetite for gadgets and the internet.

The UK is expected to spend more than €15.5bn (£11bn) on consumer electronic equipment, such as digital televisions and MP3 players, in 2007 – the largest amount among western European nations – according to the European Information Technology Observatory. Germany is second with an estimated spend of €13.3bn.