Hundreds of cheating husbands are being hauled in for lie detector tests in the run up to Christmas. The numbers of unfaithful men across Ireland are being forced to undergo polygraph probes by their suspicious partners has almost doubled since the start of December.

Sian Devine, who runs Dublin, Ireland based Lie Detector Ltd, said she’s been inundated with bookings from women, who suspect their fellas have been secretly conducting extra-marital affairs.

And she predicted that the fallout from illicit frolics will keep her busy right up to the end of January.

She said: “Usually relationship issues account for about 60 per cent of our business, but it’s almost at 100 per cent at the moment and will be throughout the festive season.

“Most of the clients are women who want to deal with a historical indiscretion or cheating issue. A polygraph test will determine if a partner has been telling her the whole truth. The Christmas period always triggers a big increase in test on relationships and I think this is because the innocent party wants to be either able to enjoy Christmas with their partner or end their relationship before Christmas Day”.

Ms Devine said that most people who take the polygraph probe-which she claims is 98 per cent accurate-pass the test, as they willingly undergo it to prove they are telling the truth.

And she said bookings are frequently cancelled at the last minute, as the person who’s about to be tested often comes clean and admits to having an affair.

Ms Devine said she expected to see more men who are suspected of playing away at the office Christmas party –marched in for tests in the coming weeks.