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If you've ever been on a first date and had an inkling that you're being lied to, you're probably right.

According to new research, a majority of British men will - and have - lied to impress a potential girlfriend on a first date.

More than seven in ten (72 per cent) admitted to bending the truth on a first date to appear more attractive, such as the job they did, number of previous girlfriends and even if they had children.

Money was the biggest area where men felt the need to stretch the facts with almost two thirds (63 per cent) admitting they had exaggerated their earning power when chatting to a woman they were trying to impress.

More than half said they had over-stated their career prospects in the belief that it would make them more attractive to the opposite sex.

Hobbies and interests were next in the list of whoppers told with more than half of all men polled saying they believed in telling women what they wanted to hear.

Many downplayed their love of sports - namely football, with a large proportion also professing a love of animals and the arts in a bid to appear ‘sensitive and caring’.

A shocking one third of the British men polled admitted to lying about their relationship status, with 34 per cent stating they had chatted up a woman while in a relationship.

Almost one in fifty said they had kept a divorce under wraps on a date with almost half of these, two per cent of the total, saying they had lied about not having children.

Nearly a fifth of those questioned confessed to telling a fib about the last time they did any physical exercise.

Interestingly, just under two thirds of the men polled (64 per cent) said they expected their date to tell a few white lies and felt it was fair to bend the truth a little.

One respondent said: 'A few little white lies don’t hurt when you’re trying to impress a date. Everyone exaggerates the amount they earn and we all tell the odd fib about our jobs. I do draw the line at something though - I think people who lie about their relationship status are going too far.'

Another commented: 'I’m happy to admit I’ve only ever lied on a date once and that time I got found out so have never done it again. If you’re hoping the relationship is going to be a long term one, what’s the point in lying? You’ll have to tell the truth at some point.'

A spokesperson for MobileSlots.com, who commissioned the research, said: 'It’s safe to say that most men are not adverse to telling the odd lie to impress a date with salary, job and number of partners being among the most popular untruths.

'Interestingly, men also expected their date to be hiding the truth on a few subjects - so ultimately it was unlikely that anybody would have a totally honest full date – which may be understandable at such an early stage of a prospective relationship.'