Brits book holidays to avoid World Cup

As many as one in eight Britons are planning to book a holiday to avoid the World Cup, according to a new survey.

A will to avoid the constant television coverage of Beckham, Ballack and Buffon is driving 12 per cent of Brits – over half of which are women – to book a week in the sun.

In contrast seven per cent of Brits are delaying booking their holiday until England are knocked out of the World Cup, to ensure they do not miss any games.

"If England get knocked out of the World Cup we are expecting a rush of last minute bookings," said American Express's Joanne Field.

A canny two per cent, meanwhile, have booked a holiday abroad where they know they can still watch the World Cup.

While 18 per cent of the country plans to avoid the television completely during the World Cup, 28 per cent plans to stay at home and watch as many matches as possible.

The most dedicated two per cent of fans are travelling to Germany to watch matches live. XXX