Today is, watch out, the dreaded Friday 13th, and a "new report" in Britain shows that more than a third of people will have their fingers crossed that no ladders get in the way.

But the report shows that Britain is not just a superstitious nation, it is also increasingly litigious. The report, commissioned by the Law Society's Accident Line, reveals that 39 per cent of people still touch wood for luck, 37 per cent avoid walking under ladders, but nearly 50 per cent resort to seeking compensation after an accident.

The study says people are now less likely to put an accident down to bad luck and are more inclined to blame somebody else. And, by the way, only 1 per cent of respondents carry a rabbit's foot for luck. But more than a fifth throw salt over their left shoulder and 9 per cent exercise more caution on Friday 13th.