Almost a fifth of Britons hate to haggle but say that where buying a new car is concerned the difficult economic climate is forcing them to do so, according to new research.

The study, completed by online car research and buying portal Recombu Cars, has found that a further third (33%) of British car buyers say haggling does not come naturally to them.

Of the 2,000 respondents 29% said intimidating sales staff influenced them negatively, while 18% were put off by a lack of knowledge about what they were buying.

Among the most common symptoms of haggle anguish among the 2,000 were racing hearts and blushing at 19% each, stuttering at 13% and then a dry mouth and sweaty palms, both with 12%.

However, 21% of the same sample said that information gained online - including prices - helped them to haggle in person, with 13% going further and preferring to simply buy online and cut out the haggling process altogether.

Rory Reid, editor of Recombu Cars, commented on the results: "In the current economic climate everyone is trying to look after the pennies and even though we might not like doing it, Brits are being forced to haggle for the best deal.

"Access to information online has certainly made the buying process easier and it helps shoppers get away from pushy salesmen who will do anything to get their hands on your money."

Recombu's latest haggle-free offer in conjunction with a franchised UK main dealer is the Ford Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost with 123bhp, which comes with a discount of £4,950 and makes it £12,995 on the road.