Town is lacking a loving touch

Stafford is one of the last places to be on Valentine's Day claims a survey which puts the town in the "Romance Hall of Shame".

It is based on the ability of Romeos to wine and dine their loved ones with French cuisine and woo them with gifts, flowers and chocolate.

The survey, on the locallife.co.uk website, bases its results on the number of "passion-inducing" businesses an area has.

"Stafford is amongst the least romantic places in the UK," it says. "It has fewer passion-inducing businesses per capita than almost anywhere else."

The area has a florist, jeweller, lingerie shop, French restaurant, gift shop or chocolatier for every 5,545 local residents - the second worst ratio in the country.