MEN have the greatest chance of finding a partner in Dorchester than anywhere else in England, it was revealed today.

Dorchester's unlikely title as a hotspot for romance emerged following a survey by BT which found that the town had one of the highest ratios of single women to men in the UK.

The list of the UK's Top Talent Towns was compiled by BT buzz-in, a new service which allows up to 20 friends to chat at the same time on the same call.

Dorchester was matched by Llandrindod Wells in the Welsh hills where the survey said the local lasses outnumbered the lads by four to one.

Lerwick, on the Shetland Islands, was named as the place for women to seek romance with two single men for every single woman, or 'singleton' as Bridget Jones referred to unattached women in her famous diary.

Salisbury emerged as the top town for domestic bliss with the overwhelming majority (99 per cent) of the town's young population coupled off.

Commenting on the survey, David Sales, director of BT Conferencing, said: "We thought it would be interesting to devise a list of places with the largest contingent of single men and women to help partygoers to plan Christmas and New Year festivities.

"Surprisingly, as it turns out, it's the more remote areas of the country that are the places to be, not the big cities."

Earlier this year it was revealed that Dorset had the highest rate of divorce in the country.

But Anne O'Neill, manager of Relate, the marriage-guidance service based in Dorchester, said: "I don't think there is a higher than average number of divorced women in Dorchester than say Weymouth for instance.

"I find the results of BT's survey in Dorchester surprising and I would like to know how they came to the figure of four to one. Dorchester has a reputation for being a pleasant place to live, it's got a safe feel about it and maybe that's why it attracts so many people.

"If anything the survey highlights the problem of a lack of services for single people. Many of the pubs are geared towards younger people."

Simon Banfield, chairman of the Dorset National Farmers' Union said he was also surprised by the figures.

He said: "I believe those who live in the rural areas always seem happier and more content with their lot than those in the cities and I think that is because we are closer to the environment.

"Does that mean farmers will find it easier to find love in Dorchester? I don't know."

Mayor of Dorchester Wally Gundry said: "The survey results could well be true. While I was out collecting for the Poppy Appeal I met a lot of single women aged about 35-40 and I've noticed the groups of young ladies who are out on a Friday night. They outnumber the men sometimes.''

Newly-married town councillor Tim Harries, said: "I can't believe it! Does that mean people will rush to Dorchester to try and find a woman?