This is how much couples in Milton Keynes are spending on Valentine's Day

The average Valentine's Day spend for in MK is £75 - and much of it is on credit.

That's the result of research from FairMoney experts, who say the money is going on gifts, meals out and drinks.

They've put a dampener on romance with the reminder that 18 per cent of people in this area have a credit card statement of more than £1,000.

Ten per cent have already contacted a payday lender, used a loan facility or credit card in 2019, and five per cent of people will need to borrow more than £400 to cover their costs this month.

Executive Chairman and Founder of FairMoney Dr Roger Gewolb said: "Brits are in a whirlwind of debt and this is only exacerbated further by retailers luring in consumers with Valentine’s Day deals. With such pressure from retailers, it’s not surprising that consumers turn to payday lenders and credit cards to battle the financial burden. "

He added: "Short term finance is bleeding us dry and millions of people are being pushed to extortion at the hands of high-interest credit options – one of the biggest atrocities to affect UK society.”