SOME 37 per cent of parents are influenced by their children when buying a new car, according to a study.

One in four drivers (26 per cent) said colour is the most likely factor that their children might have a bearing on, while 13 per cent said it was the comfort of the car.

Meanwhile, more than three-quarters of parents (78 per cent) claim that having children forced them to buy a new car.

Nathan Coe, a director at Auto Trader, which commissioned the poll, said: "A substantial amount of research has been done looking at how the decision of the car buyer can be influenced and at what stage in the buying journey.

"But few have really considered the role that children play, or the influence of pester power.

"If one of the kids doesn't like the shape or colour of your next car, or it doesn't come with plug-in for an i-Pad, then you'd better be prepared for some serious pestering."

More than half of Londoners (55 per cent) said they were likely to be influenced by their children in buying a new car, compared to just 24 per cent of parents in the North-East.

The poll took into account the views of 1,000 parents and children aged between five and 11.

Auto Trader said the BMW 3 Series is the most searched for family car on its website, followed by the 5 Series.