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A new ‘cheating map’ shows adultery is rising in West Sussex with people having more affairs in most of the county's towns.

And the rise is being blamed on the cost of living crisis – because unhappy couples cannot afford to divorce and are instead having discreet affairs.

Horsham is said to be top with 1,164 people having affairs – an increase of 43 per cent on last year’s figure of 816.

The cheating map has been drawn up by IllicitEncounters.com who say that life returning to normal after two years blighted by Covid restrictions has also led to the surge.

More people are said to be having affairs in West Sussex

Figures for other West Sussex locations include Crawley (2,070 cheats, up from 1,172 last year), Chichester (898 cheats, up from 640 last year), East Grinstead (676 cheats, up from 389 last year), Haywards Heath (648 cheats, down from 826 last year), Bognor Regis (653 cheats, down from 985 last year), and Burgess Hill (538 cheats, up from 440 last year).

An interactive Infidelity Index allows users to search a town, city or postcode to discover how many people are having affairs in any locality.

The cheating map is based on data from one million postcodes, says IllicitEncounters.com

Spokeswoman Jessica Leoni said: “We have seen a big rise in affairs in West Sussex over the last year.

“The cost of living crisis has been a huge factor in boosting the numbers of affairs. Sex is one of the few things you can do which is free and is a good way to relieve stress.

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“Fewer unhappy couples can afford to divorce because the cost of setting up two new homes is astronomical. Far cheaper to stay in an unhappy relationship and have a discreet affair.

“A second factor has been life finally returning to normal after Covid and cheaters making up for lost time after two years of restrictions.

“The run-up to Christmas is always a boom time for affairs because most people are back in the office and looking for some fun.”

Click here to find the figure for any location in West Sussex – https://www.illicitencounters.com/map/standalone

'Love cheats' on the rise in West Sussex