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Male Tube passsengers beware: the next time you see a woman reach for her phone, the chances are she isn't texting.

Flirty females are using their smartphones to capture the dishiest of the Underground's two million daily commuters, and uploading the unsuspecting men onto hit website TubeCrush.net.

The cute commuters are then rated and commented on by admiring women - with surveys taken as to which Tube lines have the hottest men (so far, overwhelmingly, the Northern line is winning).

Since its founders - four young professional flatmates from south London who wish to be known only as Stephen, Andy, Gemma and Michael - launched the site in February, it has attracted 22,000 users a month from more than 100 countries.

"It started as a drunken joke," says Stephen, 29.

"We were talking about seeing people on the Tube that you find attractive and wishing your friends were there to see as well.

"Someone said, 'Actually, I've taken a picture of someone on the Tube,' and they showed it around."

An idea was born - and it has captivated the capital, with the phrase "I'm TubeCrushing" becoming part of the lexicon in certain circles.

TubeCrush receives more than 20 pictures a day, but only men who are "six-out-of-10 hot or above" make the grade. One of the site's most popular males (liked no less than 34 times on Facebook) is "Popeye Guns", aka Ed Norman, a 26-year-old personal trainer from Finchley. He discovered he'd been TubeCrushed when a university friend living in America saw his picture on a Canadian blog.

Ed says: "My friend sent me a link, saying: 'This looks a lot like you.' I clicked on it and it was me. I've become a bit of a legend since!"

Many of TubeCrush's fans aspire to feature on the site. On Twitter, Guy_interruptd said: "*preens* I'll be on the Victoria line in a crisp white shirt should you spot me ;)" while MartinSmith1179 asked: "Why was my Tube so full of fuglies this morning? Where is my TubeCrush when I need them?"

However, snapping a TubeCrush can be harder than it looks, as Victoria line user Ailsa Leslie, 23, found out.

"I saw a very beautiful man on the platform at Brixton. So my friend and I did some tactical boarding, to be in the same carriage as him. But training your camera on someone at an angle, sort of mid-air, while they sit opposite isn't very subtle. As I hit the capture button mid-tunnel, my flash went off in his face. He didn't say anything but we had to get off at the next station - the shame!"

Inspired by its popularity, its creators are considering taking the site to the next level by offering TubeCrushes the chance to meet their admirers - as a new kind of dating phenomenon.

But they remain unsure as to whether the site will be expanded to include the fairer sex. If the tables were turned, would women find it so amusing?

Rachael Bishop, a 26-year-old District line user, says: "It's addictive and lots of fun but probably a bit sexist; I'd be appalled if it was women being objectified in the same way. Having said that, society constantly judges women on their appearance, so a website like this is just redressing the balance. Sorry, boys!"

Five Tube Crushes

Celebrity Tube Crush

Victoria line

Yes it's 'Chicken' Stew of Big Brother 5 fame. We're sure he'll be delighted to be back in the big time now he's been featured on TubeCrush. Who said travelling on the Tube wasn't glamorous?

What's he thinking about?

Circle line

Thank you Gemma for sending us this pic, he's deep in thought, his face poised, perfectly floppy hair in place and he's ready to be launched to stardom via TubeCrush. Like him? We think he's dreamy!



Bicep brothers

Central line

Outside a Wifebeaters Anonymous meeting have you ever seen two such well-toned sets of upper arms. If only we could arrange an arm-wrestling contest with this TubeCrush favourite.

Popeye guns

Northern line

A greengrocer sent us this wanted picture, apparently someone fitting this Crush's description bought up all the spinach!

Did you order thighs with that?

Piccadilly line

Well, to be honest, they could do with being a bit shorter, but who are we to complain. He's obviously off to engage himself in some kind of predatory alpha-male activity like 'playing football'. We can smell the testosterone from here.