A survey has revealed that blondes do not have all of the fun in two of the region's cities.

In York and Newcastle, 50 per cent of men opt for a brunette as their ideal date.

This puts them well ahead of blondes, with only 30 per cent of men in Newcastle and even fewer in York - 20 per cent - saying they prefer blondes.

A fifth of men in Newcastle and 18 per cent of York men said that redheads were their choice.

Internet site Lycos.co.uk interviewed 2,000 people in 15 cities for the survey, which puts paid to a number of dating myths.

Men and women in York and Newcastle found a sense of humour more important than good looks.

Also 97 per cent of men in Newcastle and 90 per cent in York men said they did not like women to be too thin.

Toni Smith, of Lycos UK said: "More than 2,000 people across the UK took part in our survey and the results certainly seem to go against the grain of long-cherished dating myths.

"It proves that blondes don't have all the fun and we don't all have to be stick-thin to find love."

Most local men would prefer to take their date out for a drink rather than jetting off for a weekend in the sun, watching television or going out to a club.

Women in both cities now expect men to be a whizz in the kitchen, with 19 per cent of York women and 42 per cent in Newcastle saying that a domesticated male would be their dream date.