Study finds lucky charms don't work

London: A pioneering study into the effectiveness of lucky charms has found that they do work - but only in the minds of the people who carry them.

British scientists found that while carrying a charm had no impact on events based on chance, such as winning the lottery, those who believed in them felt more confident and optimistic.

In the study, 100 people around Britain were asked to take a supposedly lucky Victorian-era penny coin with them for a month, and to keep a diary as to how their fortunes changed in areas such as finance and health.

While the University of Hertfordshire psychologists found no measurable difference in how fate had actually favoured these people, 30 per cent felt their luck had taken a turn for the better.

And although sceptical of any magical effects, these people felt more confident, secure and optimistic about the future, the survey found.

"When it comes to totally chance events like the lottery, it made no difference, but when it comes to luck in life, it made a real difference in terms of opportunities and confidence," study leader Professor Richard Wiseman said.