LESS stigma is attached to being a single parent than ever before, according to two single parents in the county.

Suzanne Fildes, of Five Oaks Close, Malvern, said although she had not chosen to be a single mum, it was now a way of life.

Her comments follow a national report revealing nearly a quarter of children in Britain (24 per cent) lived with just one parent in 2006 - three times the proportion recorded in 1972.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) social trends report said: "The traditional family household of a married couple with a child or children is less common, while there has been an increase in lone-parent households."

Ms Fildes, whose 10-year-old daughter Jade has special needs, said there was less stigma in being a single parent nowadays than there was years ago.

"It certainly wasn't my choice, but there seems to be a lot of it around, a lot more than when I was a child," the 38-year-old said.

"There's obviously less stigma attached to it. It's more socially acceptable."

The ONS report said since 1971 the proportion of people living in "traditional" family households of couples with children had fallen from 52 to 37 per cent while the proportion of couples living with no children rose from 19 to 25 per cent.

It also said nine out of 10 lone-parent families are headed by mothers.

Ms Fildes said: "I do know a couple of single dads, but kids tend to go with their mother. It's nature really."

According to the report, lone-parent families are three times more likely to live in rented accommodation and are more likely to live in non-decent' homes.

Ms Fildes said she now rented from a housing association but was studying a college course in complementary therapies to "improve" her life.

And she said her daughter Jade was accepted readily by other children "They understand her dad lives somewhere else and she goes to visit him," she said. "It's a lot harder for me having to be mum and dad at the same time. It's incredibly difficult but it becomes a way of life and I just get on with it."

Meanwhile, single father Sam Arnold, aged 44, of Rose Avenue, Tolladine, Worcester, said the report reflected a change in society.

"In 1972 people were more reluctant to leave an unhappy relationship and there might still have been the stigma. There is a general change that it's more acceptable," he said.

The father-of-three added: "I think some men do not want to look after their children and some do not get the opportunity.

"I just think I'm very lucky," he said.

Mr Arnold said he rented his house from Worcester Community Housing because buying was too expensive but he disagreed that single parents would put up with non-decent' homes.

"I think you could say that about some couples. Basically, it comes down to the individual," he said.

Single Parent: The Statistics

* Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of children lived with just one parent last year, three times the proportion recorded in 1972.

* Lone-parent families are three times more likely to live in rented accommodation than couples with children.

* In 2005, 66 per cent of single-parent families lived in rented housing compared with 22 per cent of couples with dependent children.

* More than half (52 per cent) of them rented in the social sector compared with 14 per cent of two-parent families.

* Lone-parent families are also more likely to live in "non-decent" homes, according to the ONS.

* In 2004, 29 per cent of lone-parent households with children lived in buildings which did not meet certain minimum standards, compared with 23 per cent of "couple households".

* Since 1971 the proportion of all people living in "traditional" family households of couples with dependent children has fallen from 52 to 37 per cent.

* Nine out of 10 lone-parent families are headed by mothers.

* Children are increasingly technology-savvy, with about 50 per cent of eight to 11-year-olds having their own mobile phone.