For some men lifelike love dolls are no longer just sex toys, but relationships substitutes. Dolls made of silicone or TPE, a silicone-like plastic, are selling like hot cakes to people from all social classes in Europe.

New generation realistic sex dolls are becoming more and more technically sophisticated and ever more popular. Europe's first doll brothel recently opened in Barcelona, quickly followed by ones in Britain, Germany and France. Enthusiasts and collectors of silicone ladies say this shows they are slowly becoming part of Europe's cultural mainstream. But the dolls are more than mere sex toys to some men - they actually live with them. The camera team visits Dean Bevan from Suffolk, Britain. The retired nurse felt lonely after separating from his wife. His solution: His doll Sarah and six of her "sisters." They live in the same house and he talks to them, photographs them, and even watches TV with them. If Sarah could speak and move, he says he'd prefer her to a real woman. But is this just a harmless foible or does it reflect an alarming social development where interpersonal closeness and communication engender fear instead of well-being?

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