The public's love for their favourite television series can lead to a period of mourning when they come to the end of their run, according to a new study.

A survey of almost 1600 people investigated the importance of the small screen in modern society.

It found that one in three (29%) of Britons had romantically fallen in love with a TV character. This was most common among 16 to 24-year-olds (50%).

More than one in five (22%) felt depressed when their favourite show ended - also seen most among the 16 to 24-year-old age group (32%). And 26% even claim to deeply miss a character when the programme is over.

Psychologist Dr David Lewis, who worked on the study which was commissioned by Tiscali TV, said: "Television personalities generate a powerful emotional bond with some viewers through seeming close, yet being unobtainable."

The most commonly loved characters were Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who and James Nesbitt as Adam Williams in Cold Feet.

Some 40% of 16 to 24-year-olds also admitted to regularly day dreaming about being in their favourite programmes.

Dr Lewis added: "Britons admire TV characters, they identify with them and can often develop a profound longing for them.

"When a character's show ends, it can hit their fans as hard as losing someone close in the real world."