INFIDELITY is on the rise in Renfrewshire, with adultery having rocketed by almost a quarter in the past year, according to a study.

Figures released this week by illicitencounters.com – a dating site for married people – show the number of love cheats in Renfrewshire’s towns and villages has risen by 23 per cent in the past year, from almost 1,900 to more than 2,300.

In Johnstone, there are 316 people ‘playing away from home,’ compared to 295 last year, a rise of seven per cent, while Renfrew recorded a similar increase, with 346 now cheating, compared to 324 last year.

The biggest increase was in Paisley, where the number of people being unfaithful soared by almost 60 per cent in the last 12 months, from 527 to 838.

In Linwood, there was a rise of almost seven per cent, with the figure going from 419 to 447, and a big increase was also seen in Erskine, from 43 to 61.

Across the villages, 125 people are said to be cheating in Houston, while a further 50 are being unfaithful in neighbouring Bridge of Weir.

A total of 61 people were recorded as having affairs in Bishopton, with 46 following suit in Kilbarchan, 28 in Lochwinnoch and 14 in Howwood.

Councillor Andy Doig, who represents Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch and has been married to his wife and fellow councillor Audrey for 22 years, said he found the statistics quite surprising.

He added: “I don’t think this is a trend I recognise in this area.

“I would say the secret to a long-lasting relationship is to be tolerant and have a good sense of humour. I also think there has to be a certain amount of give and take.

“There are things you love about each other and there are things that irritate you but you work through it.

“Back in my day, there was no such thing as dating websites. You had to go out and get someone’s number, rather than just click some buttons.

“Perhaps it’s a lot easier now for people with the inclination to cheat to do it because of social media but I think it’s a small minority in this area.”

The latest figures can be accessed on the interactive Infidelity Index, which allows users to search a city, town or postcode to discover how many people are having affairs in any area.

Since its inception 16 years ago, more than one million people have registered with illicitencounters.com and the website has seen a 25 per cent surge in the last five years.

Figures show Hamilton, in South Lanarkshire, is the cheating capital of Scotland, with 3.15 per cent of the area’s population being unfaithful.

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