Couples are rushing to consult divorce lawyers as a rash of matrimonial madness sweeps the district.

Solicitors and counsellors have both noted an increase in calls during the first week of the new year as couples struggle to cope in the aftermath of the Christmas holidays.

The increase comes in the wake of an epidemic of celebrity relationship break-ups, such as Spice Girl Mel G, who separated from husband Jimmy Gulzar last week, and Ted Turner and Jane Fonda, who also announced their separation.

At Bradford's marriage guidance charity Relate, which deals with a range of adult relationship problems, counsellors have been extremely busy over the past week.

Centre manager June Midgley said: "It's always a busy time of year for us after the Christmas and New Year break, and this year has been no exception.

"It can be quite a stressful period for a lot of couples and we always expect an increase in couples contacting us to make appointments after the holiday period.

"It's not just people in relationships who contact us either, it's also people who are lonely and people who have difficulty forming or sustaining relationships.

"There's also people who have just split up or parents who are facing their first Christmas alone without their children."

Head of the family department at Eatons, Darley Street, Liz Williams said an increase in inquiries from couples during the first week of the new year was a seasonal thing.

She said: "We generally find after Christmas and New Year that we get an increase in contact from couples.

"Quite often people may have had problems beforehand, but they want to get Christmas out of the way before they do anything about it, wanting a new start for the new year.

"People also spend a lot of time together over Christmas, particularly this year with the extended holiday."

Shirley Atkinson, a legal executive at Bradford-based Goldsborough Hicks, added: "It tends to hot up after Christmas when people contact us about injunctions and divorces."

Nationally, the divorce rate is now almost one for every two marriages.

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