The men who are in love with astonishingly realistic mannequins 

Living doll: Phil stopped smoking for a year to be able to afford his doll Jessica, and his friends all know of her existence.

He says he is under no illusions that she is a doll, and not a real woman, but does not care what anyone thinks about his choice of lifestyle

Collector: Everard, pictured in his garden with his doll Anouska, has collected dolls for years and prefers silicone models instead of the softer versions, known as ‘teddy-babes’.

His haul of 12 dolls includes figures made in the US, Russia and Asia dolls. He has eight bodies, but four extra faces, enabling him to create new dolls

Secret companion: Sam has had Paula for years, and although his wife is accepting of the doll, he keeps her out of their house and daily lives so their children who still live at home do not find out about her.

The bands around the doll’s wrists are protecting them as they are very fragile and are starting to come loose 

Film star: This face of ‘Bianca’ was used in the 2007 comedy film Lars And The Real girl, starring Ryan Gosling.

She was bought by a collector who says her identity is now that of a movie star

Starring role: Bianca with actor Ryan Gosling in the film, which told the story of a young man, played by Gosling, who developed a romantic relationship with a love doll

Embrace: Photographer Benita Marcussen got to meet some of the owners at a convention in Wales.

Pictured is one, ‘Shadowman’ with his doll Carly at his Welsh hotel. He has a girlfriend and two adult daughters, and besides Carly has four other dolls which are not part of his daily life, but his friends and family know of their existance

Open: Shadowman cuddles up to Carly.

She is a ‘teddy-babe’, which are known for being softer and easier to carry than a silicone model. Their average weight 11 lbs and they can easily be stored in a suitcase. Their skin is made of soft velour and they are most often used by their owners for hugging and sleeping next to

Photoshoot: Owners Clemens (left), Robert (centre) and Shadowman (right) arrange their dolls for a photoshoot at Llanthony Priory abbey in south east Wales.

Clemens had forgotten to bring shoes for his doll Mariam, but Robert had brought an extra pair for his doll Cathy so shared them with his friend

Friend: It is not just men who find companionship with the lifelike mannequins.

Angela, pictured with Anna, bought her first doll in 2014 and owns two faces for the model so she can change her look and personality

One of the family: Kharn, (right), 56, and his doll Alektra.

He was divorced from his wife 20 years ago and did try dating, but after eight years still had not met the right woman, sparking his interest in dolls. He bought the first one in 1998, and although he still has her she is packed away. Alektra, who is modelled on American porn actress Alektra Blue, is his latest purchase.

Kharn does not have a sexual relationship with Alektra and does not see her as a girlfriend, but solely as a doll who he likes to photograph but who will never be able to replace a real woman. He is still hoping to meet the love of his life

Secrecy: An owner who calls himself ‘Baron von Doll’ with Tania.

Like many people in the doll community he has chosen to stay anonymous as enthusiasts often experience negative reactions, and often choose to keep the dolls secretly in their homes

Painful experience: In 1986, after having their first child, Chris’s wife filed for divorce and he was unable to have any contact with his daughter for several years.

He eventually managed to track her down on social media and although they are now reunited, he still does not understand why he and his ex-wife were unable to communicate better while their daughter was growing up. The bad experience of the divorce affected his relationships with women, and he still has not been able to find love.

On the bed lies (left) Lala Salama, whose name means ‘sweet dreams’ in swahili, and who he uses to cuddle up to at night. Sharon (right) is named after the character played by Canadian actress Grace Park on the SyFy Channel’s series Battlestar Galactica

Tragedy: After loosing his wife to cancer ‘Deerman’ tried to meet someone new, but found the women he liked were not interested in him.

Years later he bought a doll who looks similar to his wife and named her Erica. Deerman’s youngest daughter knows of his interest in dolls

Mobility: Moving the dolls around the house can cause back pain if they are not lifted correctly, and because the dolls are so fragile their PVC or metal skeleton can push through the silicone skin if they are dropped or damaged.

Pictured is Everard with his doll Faina

Happiness: A doll owner who prefers to be known as ‘Nescio50’ (just seen), with his doll Lily.

He has chosen to remain anonymous as he says society still has a hard time accepting his choice to live with dolls. He has told his parents about his dolls, but his mother has told him that she would prefer it if he lived with a real woman. Nescio50 has never had a girlfriend and says the dolls make him happy

Three’s company: Lily is positioned in front of the computer, while Sasha and Nescio50 relax on the sofa at his home

Wardrobe: Nescio50 shares his wardrobe space with his three dolls, and says that their outfits take up most of the space

Damaged: The silicone dolls, such as Courtney (pictured) can be very fragile and often get small injuries, such as this cracking around the doll’s mouth.

Often owners can send them back to the factory to be repaired

Manufacture: A doll is prepared to be shipped from manufacturers Abyss Creation in California, while other dolls, seen behind her, are assembled.

Each silicone doll takes around 80 hours to produce, with the price varying from around £1,000 to £30,000. Many doll owners use them as sex toys or for erotic fantasies, but some only use their dolls for art and photographic objects

Personality: A doll in a box is ready to be shipped from Abyss Creation. With many of the models it is possible to change the face on the body, allowing doll owners to alter the mood or personality of the mannequin