A Japanese company is hiring out fake friends for people to take selfies so that they look more popular.

Family Romance will send actors to pose for photos that you can post on social media to impress other people.

For a fee of 8,000 yen (£60) per ‘friend’ they will spend two hours with you and take as many photos as you like.

Family Romance will send actors to pose for photos that you can post on social media to impress other people

Users are encouraged to share the images on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to get as many ‘likes’ as they can.

Family Romance said it was offering the service, called ‘Real Appeal’, for events like birthday parties and after work drinks - as well as weddings.

Others might want to make themselves look more popular after a breakup to wind up their ex.

The company provides a catalogue of ‘friends’, which it also calls ‘agents’, so people can choose whoever they want based on their age, sex and looks.

You can also hire groups although you have to cover all their actors’ fees and expenses.

For a fee of 8,000 yen (£60) per ‘friend’ they will spend two hours with you and take as many photos as you like

One of the supposed customer testimonials on the site described how a woman went to the seaside where she was met by some ‘friends’ who posed for pictures she posted on Instagram and her blog.

She said she was pleased at how many likes and comments she got.

Another supposed customer on the Family Romance’s website wrote: ‘I requested 10 Family Romance staff members to pose as my friends, and we held a birthday party for me at a famous hotel in Tokyo, having a few drinks at the bar with a beautiful view of the night-time

‘After that, we went to my room to drink some more, they presented me with a big cake, and I took lots of selfies. LOL’.