Bad news for Valentines: Now there’s a 6-year itch!

COUPLES stop giving Valentine’s Day gifts or cards at the six-year mark on average, research has revealed – a year earlier than the widely accepted theory that things can start to get rocky after the seventh anniversary.

The seven-year itch is the belief that relationships often reach a make-orbreak moment seven years in, with divorce rates soaring due to feelings of frustration or restlessness.

But for couples that survive this bump in the road — whether it’s after six or seven years — it seems that X-rated gifts can help to keep the magic alive, whatever your age. One in ten over-65s will give or receive a raunchy present or card this Valentine’s Day, according to a national survey by the stationery firm Ryman.

Not surprisingly, Generation Z are even raunchier, with 7 per cent of the younger generation likely to opt for a risque gift next week. And a quarter of this group also said they would consider breaking up with a partner if they did not receive a present from them on Valentine’s Day.

Men seem more eager to please their partners on February 14, splashing out almost twice as much as women.

They spend an average of £4 on gifts and cards, while women fork out an average

£2 on romantic gestures. Wolverhampton is home to the biggest romantics, with eight in 10 expected to buy for someone special this year.

But those in Brighton should lower their expectations, as just 25 per cent are set to give or receive a gift this Valentine’s Day.

A separate poll earlier this week revealed one in 20 people feel that Valentine’s Day has become too expensive to celebrate. The survey of more than 2,000 people, carried out by polling firm Opinium for the website MyVoucherCodes, also found 18 per cent of us believe Valentine’s Day is over-commercialised.