IT is a little bit irritating to read more correspondence implying that the people who voted for Brexit were mainly elderly, and likely to leave this world before the results of their choice became evident.

As voting preferences were supposed to be anonymous, I would ask again where this impression came from.

A straw poll of friends, neighbours and family at the time indicated a fairly even split of leavers and remainers regardless of age.

It seems the elderly are getting a bad press, blamed for everything from Brexit to bed-blocking and the crisis in the NHS.

They have the nerve to own houses and draw on pensions and their own savings to live a decent life.

Older people do have their uses, caring for grandchildren while parents work, taking older children to and from school, walking dogs, taking in parcels, and house sitting for tradespeople to do their work, and many undertake voluntary work.

They are merely young people who have lived long lives, not parasitic aliens from another planet.

Pamela Brown, Goodwood Grove, York