Internet shoppers may be paying as much as 25 per cent more than high street prices by assuming that shopping on the Web is a cheaper option.

A report from European online price comparison service Kelkoo.com estimates that bargain hunters could be cheated out of £82 million annually.

A search by the company for prices of bestselling books revealed a large gap between the most expensive price for Jamie Oliver's The Return of the Naked Chef at £19.10 and the cheapest at £11.95.

The survey found the areas with the biggest price discrepancies included books, toys, music and electricals.