Internet shopping among boomed during the festive period, rising by 50% in the 10 weeks before Christmas.

According to a report by e-commerce trade body IMRG, shoppers spent £4.98bn online during the period, compared with £3.3bn for the same time a year earlier.

For 2005 as a whole, it calculated that spending over the Internet in the UK totalled £19.2bn, 32% more than 2004.

Overall retail sales rose by 4% in December compared to the same month in 2004, official figures have shown.