The number of SMS messages sent on the UK rose to a thumb-numbing 3.19 billion messages in March 2006, up from the previous record of 3.113 billion texts in December last year, according to figures released by the Mobile Data Association earlier this week.

February's figure provides an average of 99 million messages being sent per day in the UK. However on February 14 th handsets proved to be the redhot choice for confirming those 3 little words 'I love you' as romantics across the UK chose to send 120 million text messages compared with the 10 million cards estimated to have been delivered by the Post Office.

Overall there was a 26% rise in text message usage when compared to the same period last year, out of an estimated 32 billion text messages sent in 2005.