Social network Beautiful people.com expelled more than 5,000 members for having gained weight during the holidays this year.

The website made this decision because its users must be only attractive people.

“We responded to complaints by moving the newly chubby members back to the rating stage. This is the same as having them re-apply,” said Greg Hodge, the managing director.

“Their re-applications were reviewed by existing members and only a few hundred were voted back in. Over 5,000 were rejected.”

Most of those expelled came from the US and Canada, and nearly 900 were from Britain.

The social networking site, which boasts 550,000 members worldwide, allows its members to decide on who should be allowed to join.

Admission to the site is only allowed after others already accepted vote on a photograph of the applicant and a brief profile.

Members of the opposite sex vote “Yes definitely”, “Hmm yes, OK”, “Hmm no, not really” and “NO Definitely NOT” to decide who is allowed into the site.