Rundown seaside resort wins Britain’s capital of romance as locals buy more top-end bouquets than anywhere else

THE RUNDOWN seaside resort of Cleethorpes has won the most unlikeliest of titles - as Britain's capital of romance.

High levels of deprivation have seen it named among the worst coastal towns in the country.

But new data - released to mark Valentine's Day - shows the locals buy more top-end bouquets than anywhere else.

And they don't just push the boat out on February 14, they do it all year round.

They took top spot in sales research conducted by Tesco which reckons it will sell 1.2million bunches on Friday.

The locals in Cleethorpe buy 15 per cent more top of the range Finest flowers than Gillingham in 10th.

Tesco Flower Buying Manager Ryan Daley said: "I’m sure the residents of Cleethorpes will be chuffed to hear that they are the UK’s great romantics.

"What makes their new accolade even more impressive is that they have come top for buying their loved ones beautiful bouquets all year round - not just on Valentine’s Day.";

Cheshunt in Herts came in second, followed by Southend in Essex.
Ingleby Barwick in North Yorkshire and Allerton Road, Liverpool, completed the top 10.

Overall, Brits are buying more top of the range blooms - with demand up 25 per cent on 2023, according to Tesco.

They are also spending more on their loved ones too.

Last year, shoppers in Cleethorpes spent over 20 per cent more per bouquet on their loved ones than they did for the same event in 2023.

The town of Bathgate, between Glasgow and Edinburgh, saw shoppers spend the most, per bouquet, on loved ones.

Shoppers, there, spend an average of nearly £9 on top quality blooms - 70 per cent above the national average.

The latest poll will be a welcome boost to Cleethorpes after it ranked in the top 10 worst seaside resorts in Britain in 2023.

It scored a miserable 27 out of 100 in the survey.

Another poll, published last year, also put it at the top of the pile for gender inequality.

The study by the charity Plan International UK analysed data including rates of teenage pregnancy, sexual assault, the gender pay gap and life expectancy.