According to Dr David Holmes, a psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, women are having more affairs than ever - recent studies say the figure is around 20 per cent for men and a bit over 15 per cent for women - but they behave very differently from men when they cheat.

‘The biggest difference is that women are much better at keeping their affairs secret,’ he says. ‘If you look at the studies into paternity, even conservative figures show that between eight and 15 per cent of children haven’t been fathered by the man who thinks he’s the biological parent.’

‘Women are better liars because they’re more psychologically sophisticated,’ says Dr Holmes. ‘You can argue about whether it’s nature or nurture, but women are programmed to be much more relationship and people orientated than men.

‘Emotionally, they make plans and have strategies, while men are more impulsive.’

…’Whenever we question men about fidelity,’ says Dr Holmes, ‘they will very often admit to their affairs.

‘But if you then ask the same men if they think their wives or girlfriends have had affairs, too, they will be shocked at the very thought, or laugh and call it ridiculous.’

In other words, men want to think women don’t cheat, and women want men to think they don’t cheat. No wonder we’re better at secret affairs.