JUST over a quarter of people in Nottingham have uttered those three little words – I love you – to someone they know in the past year.
Whether to a family member or a partner, only 27 per cent of local people could remember saying it in the past 12 months.
While 83 per cent of residents said they wanted to hear it every day, less than a third of participants believed they said it that often.
Other findings suggested that nearly half of couples do not care what their other half wears (47 per cent) and that personality was the most attractive quality to them in a partner (45 per cent).
Barbara Bloom, a relationship councillor for Relate, said: "Saying I love you can go a heck of a long way to making a relationship better, we should be encouraging people to do it more often.
"We tend to say too many negative things to the people we love. We should try to say at least five positive things each other every day."
Notts' official Robin Hood and Maid Marian, aka actors Tim Pollard and Sally Chappell, who are a couple in real life, said saying I love you was part of their everyday life.
Tim, 50, from Beeston, said: "It's just one of those things you do, it's important for both of us that we let each other know. We've just had our baby, Scarlett, and it's part of helping her to grow and be a loving person that we tell her lots of times every day, as well as each other."
Sally, 37, said: "It's just something that feels very natural to say, me and Tim say it without really thinking. I would have thought more people would have said it."
Nottingham couple Alyss Bowen, 23, and Lucio Manzi, 27, of Weekday Cross, Lace Market, said they did their best to show their affection.
Mr Manzi said: "I think I tell Alyss about three or four times a week. It's important."
Ms Bowen added: "I don't say it every day, it depends on how many drinks I've had. It's important but it's important not to over do it as well. "because as well because otherwise they become meaningless words."
The study findings were published from an online survey by La Redoute UK, a French fashion retailer.
