London needs more men!

A severe shortage of young men in London will make it increasingly hard for women to find a partner, new research reveals.

The so-called Bridget Jones generation already finds it hard to mix career commitments with finding love, which has led to a surge in speed-dating agencies and internet romances.

There are only 6,000 more women aged between 20 and 29 than men in the capital at present, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. But the ONS predicts in just two decades numbers of women of that age in the capital will reach 662,600 as against 624,800 men.

This could make it increasingly hard for the city's women to settle down with their ideal partner, said Jenny Trent-Hughes, a relationship expert and agony aunt. And online dating alone cannot solve the problems of finding a mate.

"Such a huge increase in the number of women will have a big impact on dating in a number of different ways," she said. "With internet dating you still don't get out there, make eye contact and get a vibe.

"The ways in which people meet has simply got to change. On the other hand, in another 20 years it is hard to tell how many women will actually want to settle down."

Government projections suggest that by 2021 half of women between 30 and 44 will never have been married - as against 13 per cent in 1981.

The ONS also says that by 2028 there will be a million more people living in London, taking the total population to a record high of 8.5 million.

Despite the high cost of living and endless transport problems, it forecasts, workers will continue to flock to London in search of jobs.