Love letters a thing of the past

According to the study, based on a survey, only nine per cent of the respondents had ever sent a letter and most of those were over 50 -while more than two-thirds prefer to say "I love you" by text.

An additional 24 per cent would rather send an email to express their feelings, while 14 per cent said they would post a message on their lover`s Facebook wall.

Of the 3,000 adults questioned, more than a fifth said they had enjoyed steamy Skype sessions and 21 per cent had had phone sex, the `Daily Express` reported.

If the love letter is dead, then it seems male chivalry is also on its last legs as just four per cent of men said they would send flowers to their partner`s place of work.

Only five per cent stand up when their partner stands from the dinner table, while only 12 per cent have booked a surprise weekend away, the findings revealed.

Relationship expert Jo Barnett said: "A lot of people feel they don`t need to go through the `courtship` stage any more. They want an instant relationship with instant physical contact, they feel they`ve not got enough time to romance their partner. But they underestimate how important this is. "Making the effort to make someone feel loved is a really important part of a relationship.