Brits have loosened about with regards to sex before marriage, according to a new poll.

A whopping 70 per cent of the 3,000 people polled said that sex before marriage was fine, the 24th annual report by the National Centre for Social Research found.

This compared with 48 per cent in 1984.

A further 66 per cent said that there was little difference socially between being married and living together, while 69 per cent said that a person did not need another half to live a happy and fulfilled life.

"The heterosexual married couple is no longer central as a social norm," said Simon Duncan, co-author of the report.

"But views are more traditional when it comes to bringing up children," he added.

Only 42 per cent surveyed said that one parent could raise a child as well as two.

"Children seem to hold a particular position in people's attitudes to family life. When they are involved, alternative family arrangements are seen as less acceptable."

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