Woe betide any man who attempts to come between a woman and her best friend, for as JENNY SCOTT reports, that friendship is a special bond

MEN just don't get it. But for women, the close friendships they form at school and in later life act as a vital safety valve -- and science has now shown gossiping with your best mate is actually good for your health.

"There's no doubt," said Dr Laura Klein, who has studied the subject, "that friends are helping us live longer." Dr Klein's study showed that while men react single-handedly to a stressful situation, women tend to seek out other females to help see them through their problems. When they engage in this process, the calming chemical oxytocin is released into their blood.

Men, according to Dr Laura, don't incline towards such "tending and befriending" and can end up feeling overburdened as a consequence.

To East Lancashire's women, this all makes perfect sense.

"Women tend to confide in each other," said Lorraine Fearns, 43, from Lower Darwen, who met her best mate, Lynne Fardella, through their work at the Octagon Card Shop in Blackburn Market. "Men don't really do that."

Lynne, 39, added: "Men just talk about football and what's on the telly, whereas we'll go out and have a good gossip."

Men have traditionally belittled female friendships, suggesting, in the words of the old adage, that while men talk, women merely gossip.

Sofiya Gorji, 24, who is best friends with her old sister Tahera Vaka, disagrees.

She said: "When you're out, you shop and have a gossip, because that's what women do, but you can actually have a very strong friendship underneath all that.

"And it feels good to talk through your problems. Phone bills are there just because of women. That's how BT make all their money!"

Tahera, 28, particularly felt the benefits of her strong bond with her sister.

"I separated from my husband about three years ago and Sofiya's been like a rock for me," she said.

"Although she's younger, she's always been wiser. I'm quite indecisive, but she's very logical and positive.

"I used to keep things bottled up all the time, but I can say them to Sofiya now and be done with it."