A DATING website aimed at married people has revealed almost 20,000 people are having affairs in Worcestershire.
The Infidelity Index, which uses data from Illicit Encounters, claims adultery is set to 'boom' in the run-up to Christmas.
Jessica Leoni, who is a spokesperson for Illicit Encounters, said: "The run-up to Christmas is always a boom time for affairs because most people are back in the office and looking for some fun.”
The cheating map shows around 7,509 people are having an affair in Worcester which has risen from last year.
According to the study, the cost of living crisis has played a factor in the rise of unhappy couples in Worcestershire because they simply cannot afford a divorce.
And instead, people are opting for discreet affairs.
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There was also a surge in affairs once COVID-19 restrictions started to lift as life started to go back to normal after two years of blighted lockdowns.
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Illicit Encounters reveals cheating figures across Worcestershire
Figures around Worcestershire also show an increase in affairs since last year.
The index showed around 655 people having affairs in Malvern which was up from 536 last year, but in Evesham, the map revealed 848 people were cheating on their partners, which was a decrease from 994 last year.
In Droitwich, the figures went up to 688 from 645 last year.
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Redditch had a whopping 1,085 cheaters, which is up from 662 last year while Bromsgrove had 414 cheats - up from 386 last year.
In Kidderminster, there were 695 people having affairs compared to 453 last year and in Bewdley, there were 249 cheats this year which has gone up from 242 from last year.
Jessica Leoni said: "We have seen a big rise in affairs in Worcester and throughout many parts of Worcestershire, though there were falls in Kidderminster and Evesham.
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“The cost of living crisis has been a huge factor in boosting the numbers of affairs. Sex is one of the few things you can do which is free and is a good way to relieve stress.
“Fewer unhappy couples can afford to divorce because the cost of setting up two new homes is astronomical. Far cheaper to stay in an unhappy relationship and have a discreet affair.
“A second factor has been life finally returning to normal after Covid and cheaters making up for lost time after two years of restrictions."
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