Desperate single man, 30, who is looking for a girlfriend buys massive £425 billboard asking for applicants

• Mark Rofe, 30, from Sheffield, noticed friends getting married while he is single
• He decided to pay £425 for a 3m high and 6m wide billboard advertising himself
• The massive sign in Manchester features a photo of Mr Rofe lounging on his side
• The sign says: 'Single? Date Mark. This could be the sign you've been waiting for'

A single man desperate for a girlfriend has bought a massive roadside billboard asking for applicants.

Mark Rofe, 30, said he has been single for over a year and has noticed all his friends are getting married while he is struggling to get a date.

So he decided to pay £425 for a 3m high and 6m wide billboard advertising himself.

The massive sign in Manchester features a photo of him lounging on his side and says: 'Single? Date Mark. This could be the sign you've been waiting for.'

Mr Rofe, from Sheffield, said he bought the billboard to stand out from the crowd, and has had 21 people get in touch asking for a date.

Mr Rofe, who is 6ft and said his ideal woman is Maya Jama, said: 'I've been single for a little while now, and many of my friends are married or in long term relationships. 

'I've tried the dating apps, but they just weren't working for me, so I decided to try something a little bit different to try and stand out.'

The billboard went up on Fairfield Street in the centre of Manchester on Wednesday, and will be seen by around 462,000 drivers a week.

He said he placed it in Manchester because it is one of the largest cities in the UK, near where he lived and has the highest footfall in the region.

Mr Rofe, who jokes he has kissed 'over three' women, works in marketing but insists his campaign is totally legitimate.

He describes himself as 'extremely handsome and modest'.

He had launched a website - datingmark.co.uk - where applicants get in touch and has launched a crowdfunding website for more billboards.

He hopes to raise enough funds to purchase more in Dublin, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Bristol, and London.

He added: 'If at first you don't succeed, buy more billboards?'