Dating site boots fatties

It is said there is beauty in imperfection but not when you're on BeautifulPeople.com, where there are standards to be preserved.

The exclusive dating website for the gorgeous has kicked out 3000 members for letting themselves go. It has just over 800000 members from 190 countries.

Of the 14000 South Africans on the site, 31 were told to look for love elsewhere.

The site "periodically reviews the suitability of its members to ensure that quality is maintained".

Its founder, Greg Hodge, said: "Letting unattractive people populate the site would compromise the very concept of BeautifulPeople.com."

Co-owner, South African-born Genevieve Hodge, said it was not easy to expel users.

"It is the most difficult part of managing the business. We take no pleasure in removing members, but it is a necessary evil in order to maintain our prized business model."

To join, hopefuls submit photos and existing members decide if the applicants are "hot or not".

On average, one in eight people make it, with only one in 14 British hopefuls cracking the nod.

In America, where most of the members reside, the website has beauty police at the door at its parties to ensure members look as hot in real life as their internet profiles suggest.

Graceless ageing and weight gain were two main reasons for being booted out. Canada had the most expelled members (3914), followed by the US (1457).