Bristol is the seventh biggest university for sugar babies in the UK

Bristol have been ranked seventh in the country for the amount of students turning to sugar daddies for financial support.

518 university students in Bristol are registered with SeekingArrangement.com as sugar babies, looking for “mutually beneficial” relationships with wealthy people who will help fund their student lifestyle.

Bristol is seventh behind the likes of Nottingham and Manchester. Kent University tops the list with 724.

The site founder Brandon Wade has publicly denied the site encourages students to sell their bodies in order to fund their studies.

Mr Wade said: “While some students choose debt or slog away at low-paid jobs, university sugar babies are afforded a higher quality lifestyle. It allows students to focus on their studies.”

The people who run the site claim that singles make an average of £2,000 a month, and Mr Wade claims the number of students signing up to the website based in the UK has increased by 40 per cent in the past year alone.

A study run by Swansea University last year found that one in twenty undergraduates has worked in the sex industry in some  form.

A 19-year-old English Literature student in Cambridge has stated on her profile she is “a uni student looking for someone to look after me so I don’t have to waste my energy stressing about my lack of financial security”.

Lancaster student Eve says: “I’ve earned about £700 and I’ve had things bought for me. I’ve had lots of people contact me.

“One guy paid me £200 to go for a drink with him. I met him twice so got £400…I’ve never felt threatened by anyone. I think most of the people are just lonely and want contact.”

Mr Wade is aware of the perceptions some people still have towards the nature of the site, but says: “SeekingArrangement.com has helped students graduate debt-free. That’s more than anyone can say of Parliament or university bodies.”