Only 7% of pensioners feel 'very safe' on the street

Seven out of 10 retired people interviewed said that they felt excluded from civic activities, basic services or the neighbourhood as a whole.

And a third of elderly people said they felt "vulnerable" in their own community, according to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) study.

In the worst cases, social exclusion can mean elderly people going without basics such as heating, new clothing, and food as well as being less involved in community life.

Crime fears

The national survey, conducted on behalf of the ESRC by the University of Keele, highlighted a range of goods and services deemed necessary for comfortable daily living.

People lacking two or more items because they could not afford them were judged to be in poverty.

Overall, 45% of those surveyed for the study fell into that category.

The report also concluded that social exclusion was an acute problem for older people from an ethnic minority.

For example, about three-quarters of older Somali people and two-thirds of older Pakistani people were deemed to be in poverty.

Fear of crime was a frequent worry, with 44% of respondents saying they felt unsafe when out in their neighbourhoods, while only 7% felt "very safe".