Oneinfive won’t read gadget manuals

Nearly one in five people (19 per cent) rarely bother to read the manual after unwrapping a new gadget at Christmas, a survey suggests.

Some 26 per cent of respondents said opening the manufacturers’ handbook is “the worst part” of receiving such a present, with almost half (49 per cent) describing the process as “boring”.

The survey of 2,007 UK adults commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also suggested drones were among the gadgets most commonly broken.

The survey returned 31 per cent of people saying that not being able to properly use or build gadgets was the main downside of receiving them as Christmas presents.

CAA assistant director Jonathan Nicholson said: “Although drones can be a lot of fun to use, they are not toys.”