While he secretly crept down to the fridge in the middle of the night to get his fix, we live for our trains, but as model trains aren't the most fashionable of pastimes, we need to hide our Hornby trains.

As such, you might never know if your significant other is a secret train hobbyist. To help, I've consulted top, TOP, psychologists and compiled this guide of the 7 signs that might reveal if your other half is a secret railway modeller.

Parcels disappear before you see them! Especially the oblong shaped ones. It's not another rnodel train. Honest...

Requests to tidy the loft are jurnped at! If you haven't been up in the loft recently don't assume it's just a dumping ground of old suitcases and clothes that should really be in the local charity shop. My wife thought that until she ventured into the attic one day and discovered a model railway had mysteriously appeared along the back wall.

Trips to friends and family are made by train! Ever heard, "wouldn't it be nice to go by train" No? You will.

The toolbox doesn't have anything in it to repair the car! The toolbox has nothing in it large enough for household chores. Nope, instead of spanners and hammers that are useful for the changing a tyre or repairing a leak, it's overflowing with watch- makers screwdrivers, micro files, pliers small enough to split an atom.

The top half of the Netflix recommended list! We can't sleep and get up, you hear the TV go on and the sound turned down. The next day the Netflix / Prime recommended list is full of Great British Railway Journeys, Impossible Railways and the worst of all, the Biggest Little Railway in the World.

Cryptic diagrams of ovals and lines found under the bed! Ah, the unmistakable evidence of late-night track planning. If you find strange lists of numbers starting with R. take the credit card away now! Lists of Hornby part numbers are a sure sign of a secret modeller.

Kitchen utensils, bottles, hairsprays vanish! The food containers from Chinese takeaways, glass bottles, cocktail sticks, coffee stirrers and hairspray bottles mysteriously vanish. Even tin foil (it makes great model corrugated roofing) will go. If items from your kitchen or bathroom disappear you've got a secret model railway enthusiast in your midst.

If you spot any of these signs, your other half needs urgent help. Send them to Model Railway Engineer.com, I'm here to help although sadly I can't help with their singing??