Britons are more likely to have affairs than the French, but not as likely as Italians or Spaniards, a survey has claimed.

Commissioned by the Italian equivalent of Ashley Madison, Incontri EXTRAconiugali, the survey found 45 per cent of British men and 32 per cent of women admitted being unfaithful to their partners at least once.

Britons are more likely to have affairs than the French

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In France, 30 per cent of men and 27 per cent of women said they'd had an affair.

However, those from the UK were less likely to have affairs than people from Italy, where 59 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women admitted to betraying a partner, which makes them the most faithful of the Europeans polled.

Spain followed close behind, with 56 per cent of men and 34 per cent of women admitting cheating.

The survey claimed to have anonymously quizzed 1,000 people by email in each country.

"Officially, affairs remain a taboo in these countries, which is why people do it more," Alex Fantini, head of Incontri EXTRAconiugali, told The Times.

"On the one hand people are afraid to be judged, but on the other they want to have affairs because they are forbidden."

He said he believed the British were more relaxed about having affairs than Italians, because they are seen as less forbidden.