Lesbians twice as likely as gay men to separate: survey

During 2010,6,385 civil partnerships were registered in the UK,100 more than in 2009,the ONS said.

It is,however,as growing numbers of couples register their partnerships,the number splitting up has also risen.

Last year,509 civil partnerships were dissolved across the UK,an increase of 44 pc since 2009,when 353 couples separated.

In the five years since civil partnerships became legal,1.6 per cent of formalised gay male relationships have been dissolved,compared with a dissolution rate of 3.3 per cent for lesbian partnerships.