NEARLY half of all divorcing couples used a private investigator to check if their spouse was cheating on them.

Grant Thornton's Forensic and Investigation Services said this figure of 49% for last year was up sharply on 2005, when only 18% used a private eye to snoop on spouses.

The findings form part of the firm's fourth annual survey of 100 of the UK's leading lawyers dealing in family law.

The cited reason for marital breakdowns in 32% of cases was due to one partner having an extra-marital affair, up from 29% in 2005 and 27% in 2004.