Love cheats who commit adultery through the Internet are increasingly fuelling marital break-ups in the region, a leading marriage counselling organisation said last night.

Relate North-East is getting more calls than ever before to its helpline from couples in trouble because of Internet infidelity.

Although research into the problem is still in its early stages, relationship counsellors believe it could be because it is easier logging on to a chat room and meeting people than going to a local pub or nightclub.

Nationally, Relate is also expressing concern about the amount of marital break-ups caused by websites that reunite childhood sweethearts.

It says Internet sites that encourage people to get in touch with former lovers were having a "destabilising" effect on relationships and society, with serious implications for any children involved.

A Relate counsellor said: "It's all too easy. You are at home, you pretend to be working, you find someone on the Internet who used to be an old flame and Bob's your uncle."

Relate, Britain's largest relationship counselling service, estimated that one in ten couples who contact it for help had run into trouble because of the Internet, whether in chat rooms or finding old sweethearts.

Karen Wilkinson-Bell, chief officer of Relate North-East, said: "It isn't the Internet itself that causes the problem, it is the opportunities it throws up.

"It is too early yet to tell exactly the impact it is having, but our figures suggest it is something to start worrying about.

"People are a lot more anonymous on the Internet and they are likely to be more forward.

"It is also much easier to find someone on the Internet - much easier than walking down to the pub and having to engage someone in conversation there.

"We certainly are seeing an increase in calls from people for whom the Internet is causing a major problem.

"But it's not all bad - there is increasing evidence that relationships which have sprung up on the Internet are actually more successful than traditional relationships."

Relate can be contacted on the freephone number 0800-980-5907.