The pants have a hard polypropylene case each side like a shin pad to protect the hips in the case of a fall by diverting the impact away from the bone.

They are designed to be worn over normal undergarments but beneath clothes.

The research is being carried out by Dr David Torgerson, from the University of York.

Dr Togerson hopes to recruit 4,500 volunteers from around the country to test the pants.

Elderly women are particularly vulnerable to hip fracture because their bones lose strength with age.

Women who meet the requirements of the study will be asked to wear the pants every day - and night - for two years.

They will be compared to women who continue to wear their usual underwear.

Each group will be asked to fill in a questionnaire ever six months giving information on any falls, the consequences of those falls and the impact on their mobility.

'I feel safe'