Why many parents stick to a cultural tradition

Once a means of maintaining the power and wealth of the aristocracy, the practice has been used by some British Asian families as a way to preserve their traditions and culture.

It is not known how many people travel to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh for the purpose of an arranged marriage, as the Foreign Office does not record this information.

Community leaders say anecdotal evidence suggests the number of arranged marriages is falling, especially in the big cities. But in smaller British towns, it is not uncommon.

It is easy to imagine the pitfalls for couples who find they have little in common and no love for each other.

But Ahmed J Versi, editor of the British paper the Muslim News, said the advantage came in the reassurance these marriages could provide to the families involved.

Websites have sprung up to help parents find partners for their children – matching local traditions, background and religious practice, he said.

"There is a fear, particularly among the parents of women, of not knowing the spouse and the spouse's family, he said.

"Arranged marriages help to ease that and provide reassurance that the children are compatible as people and that their cultural and family traditions will be preserved."

But he added: "Increasingly, in the West, the younger generation is going out and finding their own partners.

The Forced Marriage Unit, run by the Foreign Office, gave advice or support to 1,682 cases during 2009 – 86 per cent of which involved women.