Sleepy East Dean is the official place to find married bliss.

The picturesque East Sussex village, with its pretty cottages surrounding the manicured village green, has the second smallest number of single people per household in England and Wales.

Singletons looking for love would do well to avoid the place as figures from the Office for National Statistics yesterday showed the proportion of single people in East Dean, near Eastbourne, was 12.8 per cent.

Most people in the village are either married or living with someone.

The figures from the 2001 Census, published yesterday, took into account all urban settlements with more than 1,500 people.

With a population of about 1,600, it means East Dean's singles group numbers about 205 so those looking for a new romance would be better off heading to the bright lights of Eastbourne, four miles down the road.

But why is East Dean so loved up?

The historic village lies to the south of the A259 in a fold in the Downs.

It has developed around a green and 18th-Century houses give it its quaint character.

The figures did not surprise residents.

Nick Denyer, licensee of the Tiger Inn, said: "Most of the people that come in here from the village are married.

"A lot of people move out from Eastbourne and settle down.

"Couples stay married for 60 to 70 years here.

"You rarely hear of a break-up."

Resident David Lewis, 54, who started his career as a photographer on The Argus and is now a scientific author, said: "This is a very stable community.

"It's quiet, people love living here and it makes for happy marriages."

Keith Archer, who runs the Grimaldi restaurant overlooking the green, has been happily married to his wife Jane for 15 years.

He said: "We are very happy here and so are our customers.

"Most of them are married and the fact East Dean has one of the smallest proportions of single people in England and Wales does not surprise me. You don't get a lot of teenagers here and if they want to go somewhere, they travel to Brighton or Eastbourne."

Life is also married bliss for Murray Pike and his wife Ruth who live close to the restaurant with their son Matthew, 12.

Mr Pike said: "We are happily married and so are most of our friends.

"It's quiet out here but very pleasant."

Over on the modern side of the village, where professional couples live in detached houses, mothers were playing in their gardens with their children.

Aisling Pelczarski, whose husband Andrew works as a mechanical engineer, said: "It is a great village for young families.

"Everyone is very friendly and there are good schools for the children, either in the state system or, if you can afford it, privately."

Her friend Jolanda Goodenough agreed: "There is a lot for young children here.

"I have an active child and there is a lot for me to arrange to keep him happy."

People living in nearby Eastbourne were also unsurprised by the figures relating to their loved-up neighbour.

Florist Tulin Medi, of Breeze Flowers in Compton Street, behind Eastbourne's Grand Hotel, said: "The residents of East Dean say it with flowers.

"We get a lot of orders from the village.

"It's not only weddings, it is anniversaries and birthdays.

"Red pink and cream roses seem to be the favourite."

However, the signs are that Eastbourne may not be too far behind in the coupledom stakes, with singletons getting snapped up fast.

Carol Vince, superintendent registrar in Eastbourne for 20 years, said: "Weddings are on the increase in Eastbourne each year."

Last year, there were 684 civil marriages in the area and 220 church weddings.

It compares with 568 civil weddings and 240 religious marriages in 1998.

Ms Vince said: "The trend is for more civil marriages and a slight reduction in church ceremonies.

"Venues such as Hertsmonceux castle and Deans Place Hotel in Alfriston are very popular."

The release of the figures also did little to quash the belief that the South-East is Britain's premier retirement destination.

Just under 40 per cent of 16 to 74-year-olds in Fairlight, near Hastings, are retired - the highest proportion in England and Wales.

Also revealed was that the South-East, including Greater London, has 495 urban areas of more than 1,500 people, giving a total population of 17,162,337.

London, which is home to more than eight million people, dominates as the most populated urban area.

It is followed by the Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton region, which has 461,000 residents.