Tesco is knocking the VAT off a stack of notebooks and netbooks in a bid to get downturn-dashed Britons buying again.

The deal will see prices in stores and online reduced by 20 per cent, effectively removing the impact of the new, higher VAT rate.

A case in point: Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which Tesco was selling for £449, will now cost £359.20.

Tesco said it was making the same cut to a raft of machines from Dell, HP Compaq, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and others.

The usual caveat applies: the deal is only available while stocks last, Tesco said. You can see what it has on offer at the Tesco.com website. ®