THE British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed that chocoholics in the South West would go to almost any lengths to get their hands on a bar of chocolate including flouting the law if they had to.

The BHF survey showed 820,000 chocolate lovers, in the region would be willing to break the law if there was a ban or ration on chocolate by importing chocolate illegally, or buying it on the black market.

Around 280,000 people say they would leave the country for good!

The survey, part of the charity’s Dechox campaign, highlights the UK’s obsession with cocoa. More than a third (34 per cent) of people claim that nothing would make a ban on chocolate acceptable, not even saving the planet!

A fifth (20 per cent) revealed if a complete ban was imposed, they couldn’t cope for more than two days without their cocoa fix, while around 600,000 people (13 per cent) said they would pay more than £20 for a small chocolate bar if it was a heavily rationed.

The region’s chocolate passion is clear to see, with a fifth of adults (17 per cent) indulging in chocolate two to three times a week.

But such is the region’s chocolate obsession that even eating it isn’t enough.

A third (33 per cent) of residents in the South West admits to watching a chocolate bar advert to get our fix and a third (32 per cent) confess to watching other people eat chocolate to satisfy their cravings.

For many, their chocolate obsession is a source of secrecy, with more than two fifths (43 per cent) of people admitting to hiding their chocolate at home away from prying eyes. Furthermore, two in five people in the South West (40 per cent) have waited until a partner, family member or friend has left the room before eating chocolate and a third (33 per cent) have hidden chocolate wrappers to disguise how much they’ve eaten.

Some chocoholics have tried to curb their sweet tooth with a fifth of (19 per cent) people in the South West admitting to trying to give it up at some point.

Unbelievably, a quarter of people would find it easier to give up social media (25 per cent) or Netflix (28 per cent) than chocolate and one in 10 (11 per cent) confessed they would find it easier to give up seeing their friends.

The BHF is urging the UK’s choccy fanatics to put their will power to the test by giving up chocolate and getting sponsored for the month of February to raise money for life saving research into heart and circulatory disease.

Dan Field, Head of Dechox at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Dechox is the perfect challenge for chocoholics to put their will power to the test.

"It is a bit of fun, but it could be a great way to help cut your chocolate cravings and fund the British Heart Foundation’s vital research into heart and circulatory conditions, which affects around 650,000 people in the South West.”

Give up chocolate for a month, and raise funds for the BHF’s life saving research. Find out more at: www.bhf.org.uk/dechox .