NORTH Yorkshire's charm for older people was confirmed today after new figures revealed the number of pensioners living in the county has rocketed.

A study of the 2001 and 1991 census has shown that the number of elderly people in the region has increased eight per cent in a decade.

That figure puts the county 20th in a league table of area's with the most over-60s, closely followed by East Riding of Yorkshire at 23rd.

More than 21 per cent of dwellers in the North Yorkshire population are pensioners, or 119,834 people out of a total population of 569,660. This compares with 111,834 ten years ago.

In York, 35,181 of the city's 181,131 people are over 60 or 19.42 per cent. Given population growth in the last decade, this is actually a small drop.

In East Riding of Yorkshire, however, more than 67,000 of the county's 314,076 people are in the pensioner bracket - more than 21 per cent.

The figures have been compiled by researchers at the University of Durham for the GMB union in London.

The GMB today said that the continuing rise of the pensioner population, in these shire areas, could have significant implications for health, social services and caring for the elderly at home.

Paul Kenny, of the GMB, said: "These figures need careful study by policy makers.

"The number of pensioners is expected to rise over the coming period.

"If this trend continues it will have significant implications for the deployment of resources for health and social services and will also have implications for childcare and for the caring of the elderly at home."

Updated: 11:41 Saturday, January 25, 2003