Widow Markie Wright is typical of those Age Concern wants to help by launching an anti-age discrimination charter.

She assumed 36 years of accident-free driving would be rewarded - but turning 76 saw her car insurance premium shoot up by almost �160 a year.

She says with a weekly pension of �97.15 it is becoming harder for her to keep her beloved car on the road.

The grandmother from Twickenham said: "I rang up my insurance company to renew my insurance and they informed me that as I had turned 76 my insurance would be going up.

"It's a dramatic increase and I'm being penalised for turning 76.

Accident free

"I do think it's disgraceful. On the one hand the government urges us all to get out and keep active and then when you do try to do something they stop you."

Markie, who has owned her Allegro estate for 23 years, decided to ring round to find a cheaper insurance quote and despite help from a broker the cheapest premium was still over �300.

"I rang lots of insurance companies and it was the same old story. No one wanted to insure me because I was 76. Why should I be penalised when I have never had an accident?

"I don't even use my car all that much, mainly shopping and pootling about."

It is a similar story for many others.

'Clapped out'

One 80-year-old man, who asked not be named, cannot get travel insurance from his bank despite being a customer since 1960.

He is fit and active but due to his age he claims Lloyds won't insure him.

He said he felt angry that blanket age limits could be imposed on products and services.

He said: "It is very irritating. People think you're clapped out after a certain age and I'm far from it.

"I wish they would look at individuals and not their age."