People in Britain munched their way through an average of 16kg of chocolate and sweets last year - making the UK the biggest confectionery market in the world.

The 1997 Confectionery Market Review reveals that Britons ate £5.2bn of chocolate and sweets last year - making the UK the largest per capita confectionery market in the world.

Britons ate an average of 16kg of chocolate and sweets last year

The nearest rivals were America with 10kg, France with 9kg and Japan with 3kg.

The report, produced by Cadbury and Trebor Bassett, shows that the market in confectionery has grown by 16 per cent in the last 10 years.

In 1987 Britons ate 735,000 tonnes of sweets and chocolates, but last year that went up to 850,000 tonnes, pushing sales over the £5bn mark for the first time.

The report reveals consumption varies in different regions of the country.

Londoners eat the least, spending £1.45 per head per week, while those in Wales and the westcountry spend the most, £2.09, followed by those in the south and south-east who spend £2.04.

Cadbury's Dairy Milk continues to be the best-selling chocolate brand, followed by Mars and Twix.

The best selling sweet brand is Wrigley's Extra chewing gum, followed by Polos and Trebor Extra Strong mints.

Alan Palmer, Cadbury Marketing Director, said: "This report shows how great the British confectionery industry is - we really are true worldbeaters, and our love affair with chocolate and sweets shows no sign of abating."

Asked whether he was concerned about the health of the nation, he said: "There is no such thing as a bad food, but there is such a thing as a bad diet".

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