Greater Manchester has become one of the country's civil ceremony hotspots, new research has revealed.

According to statistics from the Manchester Evening News, some 1,365 gay weddings have taken place in the city since the Civil Partnership Act came into effect three years ago.

That is the equivalent of more than one civil partnership ceremony taking place every day over the period.

The city of Manchester itself is the most popular place for gay marriages to take place, though nearby Salford and Stockport have also played host to a significant number of civil ceremonies in the past couple of years.

Bury's superintendant registrar Graeme Ramsden told the newspaper that for most couples, fears of prejudice from their local community resulting from a civil partnership have proved unfounded.

"From our point of view, it has been very successful," he said.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that more than 8,700 civil partnerships were formed in 2007 and that 42 were dissolved in the same year.