Many pensioners struggle to stay warm in winter

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 24,000 more deaths than would usually be expected in the winter months. Of these, 21,800 were over the age of 65.

Charities condemned the figures saying they are a "national disgrace".

They urged the government to make more money available to pensioners to ensure they can afford to heat their homes over the coming winter months.

Fewer deaths

The ONS figures show that fewer people actually died last winter compared to 2002, when there were 27,230 excess deaths. This may have been due to the relatively mild winter.

They are also much lower than figures for 2000 when 48,440 excess deaths were recorded.

We shrug and ignore this national disgrace, year after year Richard Wilson, Help the Aged

However, the figures show that England and Wales still have one of the highest rates of mortality during winter in Europe, including many colder countries.

For instance, a study by researchers at the University of London published a few years ago, found that there are just 2,000 excess deaths in Finland during winter despite the fact that it is twice as cold.

Charities urged ministers to take action.

"Every year, we are witnesses to a shameful annual cull of our older population, with little or no action being taken to improve the situation," said Richard Wilson of Help the Aged.

"After the disaster that befell older French people over the summer, their nation was riven with guilt and self-examination, yet here we shrug and ignore this national disgrace, year after year.

"To add insult to injury, the British government has imposed what amounts to a �19 million cut on the Warm Front programme, which is already failing to tackle fuel poverty among the most vulnerable groups in society.

"Help the Aged is calling for the government to commit to adequate heating and insulation in the homes of all older people, regardless of income, as now happens in Scotland," he said.

"It is shocking that in 2003 we can live in a society where people can die of cold related illnesses," said Gordon Lishman, director of Age Concern.

"In spite of the government's initiatives to fight fuel poverty amongst older people, many of them still cannot afford sufficient heating or live in housing with inadequate insulation.

"Part of the solution must be to improve older people's income through increased basic state pension to an adequate level so that older people can afford to heat their homes."

Liberal Democrat spokesman on older people Sandra Gidley said: "Ministers should hang their heads in shame at these figures and explain why there has been an increase in deaths under a Labour government."