Essex: Towns Most Romanic In UK

New research on the number of cards posted in the run up to Valentine's Day has suggested that the most romantic towns in the UK are in Essex.

The Royal Mail said Romford and Ilford saw big increases in mail volumes on February 13 last year.

Almost 25% more letters and cards were posted compared with the same day a year earlier, against a national average rise of 3.4%.

There was a similar increase in post volumes in East London, with big rises in Kent towns such as Canterbury, Tonbridge, Dartford and Rochester.

Royal Mail said over a million more Valentine's cards were sent last year than in 2011.