Couples aim to clinch record with 24hr hug

Couples took part in a 24-hour "hug-a-thon" today, in the first of a series of record attempts ahead of the Olympics.

They met at St Pancras station at 7am by the Meeting Place statue, showing a man and a woman in a loving clinch.

Couples must stay entwined for 24 hours
34 minutes to break the Guinness World Record.
They must be awake and witnesses must help if they have an itch, need to blow their nose, or need food. They can have five minutes' break per hour.

Lorna Tulett, 31, of the Military Wives Choir, hugged husband Sgt Bryan Tulett, 32, who said: "I can do this easy. I wouldn't mind someone scratching me."

Jean Smith, a social anthropologist recruited to advise on cuddling technique, said: "Hugs, like chocolate, produce oxytocin and a feeling of happiness."

The event, organised by London & Partners, marks the start of World Record London, which aims to break 20 records in six months.