A town in Denmark is encouraging residents to have as much sex as possible, in order to curb a dwindling birth rate.

The residents of Thisted, which has a population of 13,000, have agreed to engage in amorous exploits so that new-borns can grow up to use the town's schools and shops, which are seriously underused at present.

The town currently has the lowest birth rate in Denmark, at 1.6 babies per family, and it is hoped that the new measure will help the survival of schools and childcare centres.

Thisted also has a reputation for being a sleepy backwater, with police having previously discovered a man living in the forest who had survived on eggs for three years.

Speaking to The Guardian, Lars Sloth, director of Thisted council, said:

'We had a hearing with the local community and asked them what we could do about institutions closing and so few babies being born. One of the citizens' organisations suggested this "deal" as an option.

'It's an unusual way of doing things, but we had to do something to save our town and maintain a certain number of children in the community.'

He continued: 'The threat of shutting schools is over for now. We just need to figure out how to monitor the plan and see how many more children come along. Our intention is to create a vibrant community and attract new families. Many are very excited about the new plan'.

It is not the first time that Danes have been encouraged to have more sex to tackle decreasing birth rates. Last year, a 'Do it for Denmark' advertising campaign encouraged residents of the Scandinavian country to get lucky while holidaying.