Anyone who knows me will tell you I am very tactile.

As far as I'm concerned there's not much in this world that can't be solved - or at least soothed - by a cuddle from a loved one.

But for those who work too hard to schedule a bit of physical contact into their lives there is a solution.

If you don't have someone to hug, the Americans have come up with a new therapy - the Cuddle Party.

The dodgy idea is to get a group of people together who feel deprived of human contact and get them to cuddle!

It all sounds a bit strange to me and simply an excuse for odd people to get a cheap thrill by touching up a stranger.

But according to Reid Mihalko who came up with the idea it's all about "exploring your needs as adults when it comes to affection and intimacy."

The fact that cuddle party guests have to wear their pyjamas before they get into a clinch doesn't make me feel any easier about it all.

There must be something in it though as more than 300 parties have been held in New York since Reid started his business in April.

Of course it's a all about money with people paying £20 a time to walk into a room of strangers and get personal.

There are rules such as be hygienic and don't get involved in dry humping (I wish I was joking but it's true) and there's a cuddle lifeguard on hand to jump in if anything untoward starts happening.

Bizarrely kissing is allowed because Reid believes it can be non-sexual (even when you are wearing your PJs and are pressed up against a stranger) but all participants can lay down their own ground rules so if you don't want a smooch with a someone in a Snoopy night-shirt you don't have to.

Reports from these cuddle fests suggest they do help some people who have had really tough times.

One woman had been fired, battled cancer and lost two family members.

She was sick of returning to an empty house and so paid her £20 for a cuddle.

What is terribly sad about this story isn't that the woman had lived through such misfortune but that her only chance of getting a bit of love was paying for a fully-clothed hug.

Where are her friends, relatives or neighbours? Is society in such a bad way that someone has to pay to get non-sexual attention from another human being?

The main ingredient of a cuddle isn't a clean body or pair of strong arms, it's the emotion behind it - whether it's sex, friendship or family ties.

If the person giving the hug doesn't care about you or even know you, then you might as well be giving a squeeze to a teddy bear - at least you are guaranteed they'll be no ulterior motives.