This Sheffield singleton hired a billboard in his search for a date, and the response was amazing

Mark Rofe, who lives in Sheffield city centre and works in marketing, paid £425 for the 3m by 6m advert featuring a photo of himself stretched out above the words 'Date Mark' in giant letters.

The sign, which directs fellow singletons to a website where they can apply to date the 30-year-old, appears to be working.

More than 750 potential suitors have already been in touch, though Mark says around half of those are men, adding 'I'm straight. I maybe should have made that clearer'.

The billboard is on Fairfield Street, a busy road in Manchester, but Mark says he is looking for one closer to home in Sheffield.

Mark, who has been single for a year, told the BBC the idea was born in the pub.

"I was talking to my mate, saying how I was struggling on all these dating apps and I joked that I should put my face on a big billboard," he said.

"We laughed about it but then actually I thought 'what a good idea'."

The website, DatingMark.co.uk, lists vital statistics including his height (6ft), shoe size (10) and the number of girls he's kissed (over three).

It describes Mark as 'extremely handsome and modest' and goes on to explain how he's taken such drastic action 'because I'm single, all my friends are getting married, and I'm struggling to get a date'.

Mark, who hails from Surrey but moved to Sheffield around six months ago for work, has yet to arrange a date but insists he is 'working on it' and plans to reply to everyone.

The website even includes tongue-in-cheek testimonials.

“Mark, this is a silly idea, and it’s never going to work,” an unnamed work colleague is quoted as saying.

A friend, meanwhile, calls it ‘the most desperate thing I’ve ever seen’, adding ‘please don’t include my name on the testimonial’.

Anyone thinking of applying might want to read Mark’s Twitter profile too, which states 'if you think my tweets are disappointing, wait until you meet me in real life'.