A COUPLE who has been making a 140-mile round trip to see each other moved their relationship up a gear to avoid being separated during lockdown.

Karen Brazier and Alan Wood met on dating website Muddy Matches three years ago.

The couple had been aiming to move in together in May at Alan’s home in Kirkbymoorside, but the thought of not seeing each other during lockdown was just too much.

“Ever since we met on Muddy Matches, we have been travelling to see each other every weekend – and I mean every weekend,” said Karen.

“We’ve been talking about moving in together for a while as the commute wasn’t something we’d wanted to do forever. But it wasn’t something we were prepared to rush into either.”

Karen, a mum of two teenage daughters, said it was her daughter’s education that played on her mind when it came to uprooting them from their family home in Doncaster so she could be with Alan full-time.

“We decided it was best for my daughter, who is close to GCSE age to finish her education in Doncaster before upping sticks, so, we’d set ourselves a date this May to make the move,” said Karen.

“But then coronavirus struck and with a potential lockdown looming and the schools closing early, we had to do something.

“Self isolating and social distancing in two separate counties just wasn’t going to be an option.”

Karen said they had now been living together for two months.

“We’re inseparable and we would have been so miserable not being able to see each other,” she added.

“The weather’s been glorious and, of course, we have the novelty of living together properly for the first time as a family unit to keep us busy, but I think Alan’s still adjusting to living with three other females.”