WORKING parents expect to miss out on time with family and loved ones this Christmas as financial pressures take their toll, Action for Children has found. 

The charity’s researchers heard that three in 10 parents are likely to give their children everyday basics such as school books, shoes or a coat for their main Christmas present this year, with over a third planning to cut back as pressures from rising bills hit. 

With last year’s Christmas seen by many as having been “cancelled,” the poll also found more than a third of parents said they feel under more pressure to give their children a happy Christmas this year.