Over 15 million have already dabbled in the equity markets, and a further 6.6 million are considering taking advantage of current lower market valuations and investing in the stock market, according to Abbey Savings.

However, a significant number of Brits have been put off investing in equities by the recent market volatility. More than a quarter confess that they would never invest in the stock market and 15 per cent saying they are less likely to buy shares given recent market movements.

According to the research, 56 per cent of Brits would be more likely to invest in the stock market if they had some sort of capital protection, such as a guarantee against falling markets. However, just 44 per cent were aware of the existence of this type of savings product.

Reza Attar-Zadeh, director of savings and investments at Abbey, says, ‘Guaranteed investments offer the potential for higher returns based on stock market growth, but also provide capital protection against a further market downturn.

‘Our research shows that 49 per cent of people would consider investing in such products in addition to a normal savings account, which we believe is a great way to maximise tax-free savings allowances and gain access to potentially high stock returns.’