The NUMBER of people accepting cash and 'allowances' for being a 'sugar baby' in Oxford are growing.

 Oxford is among the fastest growing city in the country for a website offering ‘sugar daddy’ services.

SeekingArrangement, which calls itself the world’s largest 'Sugar Daddy' dating site, has ranked Oxford as the 12th fastest growing university city in the country.

It says 101 students signed up in 2018 to ‘enjoy a life of luxury by being pampered with fine dinners, exotic trips and allowances’.

They add that 340 students are now on their website, available for ‘Sugar Daddies or Mommies (to) find beautiful members to accompany them at all times.’

The practice, which has grown in the last few years nationwide, has been criticised as exploitative.

Ellie Macdonald, Oxford Student Union’s Vice President of Welfare and Equal Opportunity, said: “Students are having to fund their studies through various means, which shows how bleak the financial situation is for students.

“More work is needed to ensure all institutions are offering non-judgmental support if needed. It is vital universities arm themselves with knowledge to better understand student sex work issues, and that university services are able to support students where it’s needed.”

In a statement, the American website said: “The maximum for tuition fees in the UK is now £9,250 per year for an undergraduate, and over three-quarters of all institutions charge the full amount. More than 475,000 UK students have embraced a unique way to fund their education: Sugar Daddies and Sugar Mommies.

“The average monthly allowance a Sugar Baby may receive is £2,900. It is easy to understand why so many students in the UK are taking this unconventional route to financial freedom.”

The company did not immediately respond when asked for further clarity on the statistics, but 376 women are listed on the site in Oxford. A further 70 men, seeking also appear in searches.

But Oxford University have expressed doubts about how the company can know who is a student and note that the methodology for the newly released data has not been disclosed.

A spokesperson said: “This report appears unconvincing. Nevertheless, the University and colleges have hardship funds for students experiencing unexpected financial difficulties and we encourage any students who are struggling financially to explore these options.”