“With global markets currently see-sawing, some people might think a dark cloud has formed and may be tempted to withdraw their money until calm returns,” said Liz Field, chief executive of .

“However, investors must hold their nerve and continue to plan for the future. Recent research has shown that those investors who stay calm and adopt a buy-and-hold approach will see better days and much better returns.”

Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics however are encouraging, revealing that individual share ownership has risen to 12 per cent of the market, a jump from the 10 per cent recorded in 2012. The data also showed that foreign investors hold a dominant position in UK-quoted stocks, with “rest of the world ownership” standing at 54 per cent at the end of 2014.

“What we really want to see is UK retail share ownership increasing. Private investors are actively engaged in the country’s economic performance, as they have a stake in the free market economy which is a huge boost to the UK. The WMA has been calling for the government to help create a culture of investments and savings in this country – and that can only be achieved by educating the public and making investment easier to understand,” added Field.