An online dating agency that excludes ugly members is to launch worldwide despite criticism that it is superficial.

Beautifulpeople.com  insists applicants must submit a photograph of themselves to allow existing members to decide through an online rating system whether they are attractive enough to be admitted.

Only about one in five applications to the website is successful.

The site was launched in Denmark several years ago and has since opened in several countries including Britain, the United States and Japan. From this week, it will operate as one unified website across the globe.

In total, it has accumulated 180,000 members.

Greg Hodge, 34, managing director of the site, said: “Is it shallow to want to be with someone you’re attracted to? If you are in a bar or a club and you are going to approach someone, you’ll approach someone you’re attracted to. There’s nothing shallow in that.

“People are fed up wasting time and money meeting unattractive people on the net.”

The existing users are asked to rate photographs of those wanting to join as either “Yes, definitely”, “Hmm, yes OK”, “Hmm no, not really” or “No definitely not” and a decision is made based on the overall finding.

The website promises successful applicants “glamorous parties, a jet-set global network” and “potential contracts from top modelling agencies”.