Mobile phone flirting 'is hotting up'
Spending on flirting and dating services on mobiles phones showed signs of hotting up, official figures show.
The amount spent rose by 36% in 2010 compared with the previous year to £34.7m, premium rate regulator Phonepayplus said.
Mobile and online flirting services reported a boom in sales of "virtual gifts" - such as a virtual kiss sent to somebody's mobile.
Men are more likely to phone flirt, the report said.
Some 63% of users were men, with 18 to 34-year-olds the most likely to use the premium rate flirting services.
"As a regulator, we welcome innovation in the market and very much want consumers to enjoy fun new services with the reassurance that there is a regulator working with industry to prevent consumer harm," said Paul Whiteing, chief executive Phonepayplus.