Thousands of people in Suffolk are cheating on their partners because couples “cannot afford to divorce”, a dating site for married people has claimed.

A new “cheating map” compiled by IllicitEncounters.com shows 669 people in Ipswich are currently having an affair – with adulterers reportedly choosing cheating over separation due to steep divorce costs.

The figures show the number of Ipswich residents registered as having an affair is up 3.5% on last year’s total of 646.

Meanwhile, the site claims there are 694 adulterers in Bury St Edmunds, 548 in Stowmarket, 397 in Hadleigh, 384 in Woodbridge and 285 in Felixstowe.

In Lowestoft the number has more than doubled in just one year, with 1,369 affairs recorded by the site in 2019.

Over the border, it claims 1,247 people are having an affair in Colchester – significantly up on 2018’s total of 804.

IllicitEncounters.com spokesman Christian Grant said cheating is popular with many Suffolk residents who have forked out for second homes – and therefore cannot afford to get a divorce.

“Lots of couples in Suffolk cannot afford to divorce due to the cost of establishing two new homes, so they are sticking with their partner and adding some spice to their marriage by discreetly having an affair,” he said.

“They know that with a site such as IllicitEncounters they can have an affair with a like-minded partner who is also looking to cheat. Both sides can have some fun without upsetting things at home.”

The figures are based on IllicitEncounters’ own data on the numbers of Britons cheating.

Since its inception 16 years ago, more than one million people have registered with the site.