It hurts so good

Packed with fully exposed devils, handcuffed lesbians and 55-year-old peek-a-boo candy girls, this fetish club seemed the last place I'd find people in happy, loving relationships. Yet, among the outrageous outfits and the explicit performances, I was stunned by the huge number of couples. In fact, the ratio of single, whip-wielding, leather-clad dominatrices in relation to happy and 'normal' looking pairs was simply pathetic.

So are modern couples forsaking candle-lit dinners for the kinky, sex-soaked atmosphere only found in hedonistic circles?

And will it improve a relationship or ultimately destroy it?

Trussed me

Master Keith is owner of The Gate Club, a private couples-only BDSM (Bondage, Domination and Sadomasochism) club . 'Couples come to my club and fulfil their sexual desires together. It's a lot to do with trust. Any guy who lets his other half tie him up must trust them 100 per cent,' he says.

Owner of Club Rub, Kim, disagrees. She says that although the hedonistic club scene may improve a relationship, it isn't the main reason people go.

'A broad cross-section of people come to my club, and many are couples. You can feel overtly sexual if you are with the right person, but often fetishism is about individuals who want a little bit more from life.'

The tame game

But for all you thrill-seeking couples considering sexual indulgence, ensure you choose your club wisely. BDSM clubs normally involve some element of participation: 'playing' on dungeon equipment or a bondage session. Fetish clubs, on the other hand, are slightly tamer and reasonably mainstream, focusing on the aesthetics - music, outfits, performances and lighting.

David, part-owner of the hugely successful fetish club, Torture Garden, isn't remotely interested in the romantic element. 'Fetish clubs are about pushing boundaries,' he says. 'They take the mundane out of life. People are bored with normal clubs, so they dress up and explore. Fetish clubs are just a huge fancy dress party.'

So, before you head to the local sex shop in a flurry of excitement, think carefully - taking foreplay out of the bedroom could enhance your relationship in ways you could never imagine. Or it could prematurely sever it... also in ways you could never imagine.