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Britons who shop on the internet need their consumer rights better protected, the UK's consumer watchdog has said today.

In its report, Internet Shopping, the Office of Fair Training (OFT) said that both consumers and businesses could do more to maximise the potential of online shopping.

According to the watchdog, some shoppers do not spend enough time comparing prices and seeking out better-value deals on the internet.

Many are also unaware of what rights they have when they make an online purchase and do not do enough to protect themselves from potential pitfalls.

And some businesses are also not fully aware of what is required of them when they sell products online, while others could do more to inform their customers of their rights.

"The internet has added a welcome new dimension to competition in the economy, as well as providing convenience for shoppers and new opportunities to compare prices and find new products," OFT chief executive John Fingleton said.

"However, if online shopping is to continue to flourish, the awareness and the protection of consumers' rights need to improve. The OFT is committed to working with businesses, consumer groups and other bodies to make sure that consumers can shop with confidence online."

The OFT says it will now liaise with consumer groups, public bodies and businesses to ensure that all the necessary information is readily available.

It will also seek to make sure that shoppers are informed how to best protect themselves from security and privacy threats and improve the safety of the internet as a marketplace.

Businesses will be advised to improve the ease by which customers can contact them and work will be done to improve compliance and enforcement on the internet.

"This work, to be developed over the next six months, aims to find the best ways to ensure that shoppers can feel confident and protected when buying online," the OFT said in a statement.

The OFT says that internet shopping is worth more than £21.4 billion in the UK with 20 million Britons shopping online last year.