FOR most people, Facebook is a harmless way to keep in touch with friends and family. But flirtations on the social networking site are now becoming a factor in marriage breakdowns. One online law firm says 20 per cent of their divorce petitions in the past year contain references to Facebook.

Mark Keenan, from , says: "A lot of people found things out about their partner on Facebook. "The most common thing seems to be people having inappropriate sexual chats with people they are not really supposed to." With lawyers predicting that divorce-related enquiries will rise by 25 per cent this month compared to January 2009, here ELLIE WHITE speaks to two women whose marriages collapsed because of Facebook.

They divorced in June 2008. She says: "A relative of my husband's mistress contacted me on Facebook and told me he was having an affair. I had suspected him for some time because whenever I looked at his profile page there were messages on there from women I had never seen or heard of. I knew he was having an affair because when I look at his Facebook page, there were messages from girls I've never heard of. But Robert works as a pastor and is a religious man, so when I confronted him about the messages and he told me I had nothing to worry about, I believed him. He was spending a lot of time in Brazil at the time, for work, and said the posts were from members of his church community there - women who needed his spiritual help. I admit I was jealous - and suspicious - but he was my husband and I trusted him. The posts kept appearing and I was mortified. I felt like I was being made a fool of. I also knew that there could be many messages he was receiving that I couldn't see. Then, in September 2006, I received an email from the sister-in-law of a woman he was having an affair with. I couldn't believe she had contacted me - but she said she thought I needed to know. I was very upset, but also relieved. Again, I confronted him. He couldn't deny it any more. So I told him I wanted a divorce. I was happy to be out of the marriage and away from the stress and unhappiness. I hate to think what would have happened if Facebook hadn't alerted me. It is a horrible way to find out that your marriage is a lie. But I'm glad I found out - it could have gone on for years without me knowing."

The mum of three was married to taxi driver Chris, also 36, for eight years, until her Facebook flirtations led to their split. She says: "TWO years ago I started on Facebook and was soon addicted. I loved tracing people I had lost touch with. Then ex-boyfriends started to find me. Karl was a guy I'd dated for two years. He still looked lovely and soon we were flirting. I told my husband my password - I had nothing to hide. But I didn't think he'd start looking at my messages. One from Karl joked about a time we'd been caught snogging round the back of a nightclub. Chris read it and went mad. I changed my password and he accused me of keeping secrets. Within months we were having explosive rows. But I couldn't stay away from Facebook. As soon as I dropped the kids off at school I'd be on it and when the kids were in bed I'd be on it again, sometimes until the early hours. Chris was very jealous and convinced I was having an affair. I wasn't but I was flirting a lot. It came to a head a year ago. I was out with my girlfriends and I kept spotting his taxi outside bars I was drinking in. He was following me. That's when I realised all the trust had gone out of my relationship. I confronted him and we had a blazing row in the street. I told him he should move out.

That was a year ago and we're now getting divorced. I'm single and enjoying my freedom... and I can go on Facebook without being hassled."
CHRIS SAYS: "Facebook wrecked our marriage. I didn't like her flirting. She wouldn't like me doing it so why should she? After what has happened, I don't go on networking sites. I hate them."