The research found nearly a third of us have been ghosted at least once in the past year by a relative or someone we thought was a close friend.

And it seems modern lifestyles mean friendship groups are shrinking.

Whereas, a decade ago research showed the average British adult had 5.1 close friends, now it’s down to just 3.7 – a fall of 27 per cent.

Worryingly, one in ten (9%) say they now have no close friends at all. That’s a 50 per cent rise on the number who said this ten years.

The research, by Krispy Kreme, shows that the modern phenomenon of ghosting – whereby people simply stop responding or communicating with someone without explanation – may be largely responsible for friendships dying off.

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With fewer interactions happening face to face, or even on the telephone, and social media messaging becoming the main way of keeping in touch, ghosting has become all too easy.

The study revealed that nearly one in five Brits – 18 per cent – have been ghosted by someone close to them in the past year and more than one in ten (11%) say they’ve even been ghosted by the person they thought was their ‘best friend’.

In addition, one in seven – 14 per cent – have been on the receiving end from a family member.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults revealed many are prepared to admit there own antisocial behaviour.

Almost four in ten confess to having ghosted one of their friends in the last 12 months (38%).

More than a third – 36 per cent – claimed this was because they felt they were no longer on the same page and had ‘drifted apart’.

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Meanwhile, 24 per cent resorted to ghosting someone because they felt the two of them were ‘in a different life stage’.

In a bid to reverse this trend, Krispy Kreme is calling on Brits to use Halloween as a reason to to reconnect with someone they have lost touch with and gift them a ‘hauntingly empty Krispy Kreme Ghosted Box’.

The empty boxes can then be filled with Original Glazed doughnuts for free when taken into any Krispy Kreme shop.

Emma Colquhoun, Chief Marketing Officer UK & Ireland at Krispy Kreme, said: “This Halloween, we are calling on the nation to reconnect with their ‘ghosts’ through the medium of doughnuts.

“Our doughnuts provide a perfect sharing moment which is why they’re certain to bring people back together.”

While stocks last, Ghosted Boxes can be ordered on the Krispy Kreme Ghosted Box webpage between October 9 and October 13.

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