Football tournament could boost economy by £1.25bn
World Cup fever is likely to boost the UK economy by£1.25 billion, according to research by the Centre for Economics and Business.

The main contributing factor is expected to be the increase in consumer spending, with additional advertising expenditure also playing a part.

The research estimates that consumers will spend an extra£720 million as a result of the World Cup, regardless of how long England remains in the competition. Figures from electricals group DSG show that sales of flatscreen TVs are already up 92 per cent on last year.

However, match timings could affect shopping, with the first England game scheduled for 2pm on Saturday, June 10.

The 2002 World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan, had a negative impact on the UK economy. Because of the time difference, most of the matches were played during the working day, which hit productivity.