Cheating Brits flock to UK city that's 'hot bed of affairs' over Christmas

18 December 2023 , 11:58

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Salford has been named the adultery capital of the UK (Image: Getty Images)

A northern city with a charming Christmas market is a hot bed of lust and deception, according to an adultery website.

Affairs facilitator Ashley Madison has revealed that Salford is the top UK city for having an affair during the festive season. The most people signed up to the dating website-per-capita of anywhere in the country between October 2022 and February 2023, suggesting Salford is the place where the most eyes wander when the night's draw in.

Lucy Beresford, relationship expert and psychotherapist, told the Mirror: "Salford is the hot bed of affairs at the moment. One of the heads of Ashley Madison has suggested they should work together with Salford as the capital of infidelity. Manchester is second in the list so there is obviously something in the water up there."

If you are in Salford and engaging in an illicit encounter or travel up to the city to meet one of the website's many users in the area, then there are plenty of places to stop off in.

The vibrant waterfront area of Salford Quays is arguably a great spot for an affair, with cultural venues like The Lowry and the Imperial War Museum North a good place to get to know a prospective partner.

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Cheating Brits flock to UK city that's 'hot bed of affairs' over Christmas

A pleasant afternoon can be spent on Salford Quays (Getty Images)

The Lowry has an excellent and extensive collection which showcases many of the famed local artist's works depicting Manchester and Salford as they changed through the first half of the 20th century.

If you manage to fit a trip to Salford in before Christmas amidst the busy festive schedules then the seasonal market there is well worth a visit. It runs on the quayside every weekend until the big day, features 80 stalls and, when the mulled wine is flowing and the mistletoe swinging, seems like a romantic spot.

Those who prefer to keep their trysts traditional may simply chose to visit a bar, with the likes of the Alchamist, Botanist and Dockyard all providing a pleasant, dimly lit environment for a meet-up.

In addition to noting Salford's place as the adultery capital of the UK, Lucy said that there had been a rise in Gen Z (those born in 1997 or more recently) Brits signing up to Ashley Madison.

"What I think is happening, is people are taking their emotional needs more seriously. There is more of a global discussion around monogamy. This year 84,000 people who signed up who are Gen Z in the UK, it is an even higher figure in countries like Brazil," Lucy continued.

"(Maybe people are saying) 'if I'm going to live to 120, can I imagine being just with this person'. People crave connection, the pandemic was atrocious for that. Christmas is the year end, it's when people think 'do I really want this, did I really enjoy the year?'"

Lucy also noted that one in four women on the site say they are in an open relationship - a figure which drops to 13% for the men.