Surge Protector?

Are surge protectors common or necessary in the UK?  In the US, there is a strong sense of impending doom if decent (or expensive) electronic equipment is used for long periods of time without a surge protector.  I looked around a few stores in the UK for surge protectors, but they were harder to find.  Is this because they are not as necessary?

I have way more power surges here than I had at home.  Do you mean the strips with the surge protection built in?  We have a bunch. 

As in the U.S., there can be areas and neighborhood which are more or less prone to power problems.  It also depends upon the causes under consideration.  Remote rural areas at the end of miles of overhead distribution cables are more prone to surges caused by nearby lightning, and to brownouts and blackouts during stormy weather when high winds cause difficulties.  Urban areas are often more likely to suffer from noise spikes and similar caused by industrial loads (heavy motors and such like) switching on and off.

Plugs, adapters, and power strips with integral protection are widely available here, although sometimes with questionable efficacy:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/family.aspx?menu=1620&doy=19m11&MenuName=Mains%20Electrical