Coventry is apparently the UK’s number one destination for singletons looking for love

Coventry, hometown of Richard Keys and that mid-noughties indie band, The Enemy, that you were briefly massively into at high school, has been named as the number one spot in Britain for single people on the hunt for romance.

That's according to new data from the Office of National Statistics and the dating site Badoo, who say that with 49 per cent the West Midlands city has the highest concentration of singles in the country. It sounds like the ideal destination for shy types who find breaking the ice a bit tricky, too, as according to The Mirror Coventry residents are also among the most 'forward' daters around. Men are 71 per cent more likely to initiate conversation, and women 63 per cent. Whether you're looking for a soulmate or a quick fling, there are  minimal awkward silences in the Coventry dating scene. The study concluded that contrary to what many people might have believed, being in a heavily populated city doesn't necessarily give you the best shot at finding the one. Runners up to Coventry were Sunderland and Hull. All three are cities with a population of fewer than 320,000. Cities with more than 340,000 - namely London, Cardiff and Leeds - had a smaller percentage of the 32 million singletons in the UK. Badoo spokesperson, Joelle Hadfield said:

"It’s striking that some of the most densely populated cities in the UK have a lower concentration of singles. "The optimal place for dating success may not be big cities, as previously thought. We’re noticing that smaller cities pose a greater opportunity for singles to meet a potential partner.” "It’s a huge misconception that big cities equals more fish in the sea. In reality, this isn’t always the case, and Badoo’s data shows that in fact the opposite is true."

They say Paris is the City of Love, but if you want a cheaper and slightly less glamorous version you'd better be booking that open return to Coventry. Read more