And a report from web-hosting company Fasthosts has found that 79 per cent of those who actively post personal material online, for example on social networks, are concerned about their online image.

This vanity almost borders on paranoia for 25 per cent, who are worried that material published on the web reflects on them in a poor light.

Fasthosts' Online Identity Survey also found that one in four people would routinely conduct a search for people they had met online.

Mark Jeffries of Fasthosts said, "With it now being commonplace to search individuals online, one should present personal online material carefully and keep an eye on one's online image."

One way of doing this is to publish your own web page, rather than using a social network, because you have more control over the content posted, said Fasthosts. Eighty-four per cent of people publishing their own site felt more in control of their image, the survey found.

www.fasthosts.co.uk

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