WOMEN might have a reputation for adoring chocolate - some, allegedly, even preferring it to sex.

But new statistics published by York confectioner Nestl Rowntree reveal that while it is true that women buy the most confectionery, men end up eating almost as much.

Nestl says women buy 65 per cent of confectionery, but eat just 33 per cent of it. Men buy only 31 per cent of confectionery, but chomp their way through 29 per cent.

"It seems women are still buying chocolate and sweets for their kids and their guys," said spokesman Paul Kirkwood.

Meanwhile, the confectionery charts have also revealed that Nestl and Cadbury continue to share top place in the battle for market leadership.

Each had 19 per cent of the market in 2001, one per cent ahead of the UK's third confectionery giant, Mars.

During 2001, total sales of confectionery in Britain reached £5.6 billion, more than was spent on newspapers, bread and tea combined. Chocolate sales made up £3.8 billion of the total.

Nestl said it had been a "fantastic" year for its products, particularly the ten core brands Kit Kat, Aero, Yorkie, Rolo, Smarties, Milkybar, Rowntree, Polo, Quality Street and After Eight.

As the Evening Press reported recently, the company insists that KitKat remains the country's top-selling confectionery - rubbishing claims in The Grocer magazine that it has been overtaken by Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Updated: 11:13 Thursday, December 27, 2001