A 74-year-old man has been told he cannot volunteer to drive sick people to hospital because he is too old.

Maurice Bates, from Lincolnshire, said it was "ridiculous" he has been banned from helping, even though he has a full driving licence.

But Lincolnshire's ambulance service said it is right to ban Mr Bates as its age limit for volunteer drivers is 70.

A spokesman for the service said the job could involve carrying luggage or pushing wheelchairs which may be difficult for an older person.

Volunteer shortage

Mr Bates, from Claxby, near Market Rasen, said: "I think it ridiculous. Everyone is an individual, everyone has different abilities.

"Some people are better at 70 than many people are at 50.

We feel it is an appropriate point to call it a day

Mike Gillon, ambulance spokesman

"I think everything should be assessed on an individual basis and they did tell me I would be subjected to a two hour driving test and surely that should be the yardstick."

Mr Bates went for the volunteer health transport driver job because he was told there is a shortage of volunteers.

The job mainly involves taking people to and from hospital.

'Demanding' job

The pensioner said his GP thinks he is healthy and alert enough to still be entitled to a driving licence.

But Mike Gillon, from the Lincolnshire Ambulance and Health Transport Service NHS Trust, said the cut off point for volunteers is right.

"This isn't just a job which is about driving - that is obviously the key element and it is quite demanding.

"But there is also issues of carrying luggage for some patients and pushing wheelchairs along hospital corridors and so on.

"So we feel it is an appropriate point to call it a day."