PRIVATE investigators say they are getting more cases of parents who want to check on their kids' love lives.

For every five parents who wish to spy on their children, two suspect that their children are having secret boyfriends or girlfriends, say PIs.

Mr Lionel De Souza, an ex-cop who now runs LJ Investigation & Consultancy Services, said: 'Usually, the parents become worried after relatives or neighbours tell them, 'Hey, I saw your daughter doing this with a boy.'

'If the girl brings the boy home to meet her parents, the older folks feel comfortable with the relationship.

'But if she keeps quiet about the relationship and the parents come to hear about it from others, they become worried that the men could be just using the girls for sex.'

Mr De Souza said that typically it's when both parents are working that kids are more prone to love and attention given by outsiders.

He said: 'Financially, these families are comfortable. Some are even living in condos.'

Previously, most parents were only interested in whether their children were mixing with bad company either online or in the real world.

These days, parents are also keen to probe if there are telltale signs that the young ones are having pre-marital sex.

Mr S M Jegan, who runs Kokusai Security, said he gets one or two calls from parents a month, asking him to spy on their children.

He said: 'Usually, parents are afraid their children mix with bad company although once in a while, I get clients who suspect their children of having sexual affairs.'

Mr P Kalastree, who runs Mainguard Security Services, also investigates such cases. He said some parents also hire him to check out the background of those dating their children.

'I had a case of a 21-year-old boy who wanted to marry a woman who was twice his age. His parents disapproved because of the age gap and they wanted to be sure the lady was of good character and if the boy was serious.'

How can you tell if your children may be up to no good? Mr De Souza said: 'The signs include coming home late from school and a sudden increase in 'group study' sessions without any visible improvement in grades.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.