Emma Watson's Harry Potter character is favourite movie role model

The boy wizard's studious best friend Hermione Granger topped the poll by Lovefilm.com and children's charity Filmclub ahead of Charlie Bucket, the golden ticket winner in Tim Burton's 2005 adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic tale Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Another of Dahl's child protagonists, Matilda, who was played by Mara Wilson in the 1996 movie, came in third place while Macaulay Culkin's Home Alone character Kevin McCallister placed in fourth.

Kung-fu fighting youngster Dre Parker, played by Will Smith's actor son Jaden in the 2010 remake of classic martial arts movie The Karate Kid, rounded out the top five.

Filmclub spokesman Sam Weinstein says, "Films can have a powerful influence on the way children behave and interact with people around them. Characters that young people identify with tend to stay with them the longest and positive behaviours can be learnt by watching the way that fictional characters handle certain situations on-screen.

"We wanted to work with our philanthropic partner Lovefilm to compile a list which recognises and celebrates the positive influence these on-screen role models can have. We hope our list will also help parents and guardians when it comes to choosing films for their children to enjoy."