Many are turning to online dating in the search for true love

Those who hope to find their perfect partner at the click of a mouse generally represent a cross-section of the population, according to a Belfast psychologist.

More and more people are hoping for love via the world wide web - a trend which may increase with St Valentine's Day this weekend.

Dr Monica Whitty, from Queen's University in Belfast, said there were a growing number of people exclusively using online dating sites to find a partner.

Her research, which involved 60 Australian participants using an online dating site, showed that people from a wide range of age groups were logging on to try to find that special someone.

"My data suggest that a good cross-section of the population is doing this and for a variety of reasons," she said.

"Some don't like meeting in pubs and clubs, some are shift workers or are really locked into their careers so don't have time to meet other people.

The keyboard is the latest tool in finding romance

"Other people have children to look after so don't have the time, while others would have given up on finding a relationship had it not been for internet dating."

She said that different sites catered for the different needs of online users.

"Some just use them for finding sexual partners rather than developing any long term commitments, some are married wanting affairs, while others want to form long term committed relationships," she said.

However, the anonymity of the net means that many people paint themselves in favourable light - so the six foot bronzed god you thought you were chatting to could in fact be small, bald, and overweight.

There is nothing wrong with that - but it shows the potential for stretching the truth in such circumstances.

"People do quite a bit of lying or exaggerating on these sites especially about their age and their looks," said Dr Whitty.

"In other cases they omit certain information in order to attract others, such as they whether they have children."

Research has shown that the most successful romances on the internet are among those who have been the most honest.