According to the Office for National Statistics, nearly half of British women have never married.

The official figures suggest Brits are more at ease with single life than ever before.

Najma Khan is 38-years-old and has never been married or engaged.

“I know I am officially in the ‘no hope’ category." she says.

“My mum is constantly told the only people that I can marry are widowers or divorces.

“I am constantly told I am too fussy for not settling down with the people that I am introduced to. But how can I marry someone just for the sake of ‘being married'?"

She says her mother's constant illness is blamed on her being single which has apparently caused her undue stress.

As dating websites and apps are taking over conventional methods of meeting people, our lives are being reflected by the ubiquity of the internet.

Yet Asian culture upholds its stoic ideals.

“What has made me even more despondent is that I have tried online dating and matrimonial sites. They’re a great idea at first, and it’s very exciting.

“But once I have made a connection with a guy, the modus operandi seems to be the same.

“They will send me a raunchy picture, and then expect me to reciprocate.

“On occasions I have. But whenever I ask to meet up, the guys are suddenly unavailable.

“I asked a couple of guys straight out if they were genuinely single. They admitted they were married and just wanted a bit of fun in the evenings by going on the website. The next thing you know, their account has been deleted from the website.”

Najma explained how cultural expectations further impinged upon her hopes of getting married.

“If people in the community are not calling me fussy, then they are spreading unfounded rumours that I must have a white boyfriend or a secret husband.

“Our community is so judgemental. You think things would have changed with this generation. The culture is unyielding.

“I was even told by a local imam that I am a selfish Muslim because I have not completed half my deen by purposely staying single.

“I have even had a few offers to be a second wife!

“That is a concept that I can’t get my head around. As far as I am concerned (and I know many men will disagree with this) a second wife is just a legitimate way for a man to have an affair.

But, she says she is constantly reminded, that may well be her only option.

“It doesn’t help when aunty’s tell me they had grown up kids when they were my age.

“Being a single Asian woman of a certain age means people regard you as ‘desperate’ or ‘fallen.’ “As one friend pointed out, maybe I should just marry the next person that comes along, and then subsequently divorce him. At least I have ticked a box.

“Maybe then people will leave me alone.”