Employers wanting to ensure their benefits appeal to the unfaithful and adulterous members of their workforce would perhaps be better off providing them with a divorce savings plan over a pension scheme.

If research released by IllicitEncounters.co.uk is anything to go by it seems as if those who cheat invest more money into heady love affairs than into their trusty pension fund.

The research found that users of its website spent £291 month on their love affair, compared to £59 a month on their pension. This is despite the fact that a pension will pay out long after the honeymoon period is over and any divorce has been filed.

The research also showed that, on average, cheaters spend £3,500 a year on sustaining an affair. This includes spending on accommodation, weekends away, phone calls, gifts and flowers.

Sara Hartley, a representative from the website, said: "I think these figures are astonishing. It certainly shows us where people's priorities lie. Generally, those who cheat seem to be more hedonistic than most, which may explain why they are spending more on instant gratification, rather than preparing themselves for the future.

"An affair is a notriously expensive thing. At IlllicitEncounters, we have a unique insight into the spending habits of cheaters. Most own two separate mobile phones, and buy gifts more regularly for their lover than they do for their spouse."

Perhaps cheaters that make the maximum contributions to their pension could be rewarded with a pink plastic rose and employer-funded overnight stays at a cheap bed and breakfast establishment.