AN increasing number of North-East pensioners are logging on to the net, according to new research.

Age Concern has seen a sharp rise in interest in its courses showing older people how to get on to the Internet, and pensioners are using their computers in all aspects of their lives.

Retirement home builders McCarthy and Son, which has developments in the region, says more people are making enquires by e-mail.

The company, which has a site in Woodland Road, Darlington, gets at least three Internet reservations for its retirement developments a week, and the number of people over-60 making initial enquiries and booking appointments over the Net has tripled in the past two years.

Age Concern development manager Emma Aldridge said: "In the years we have been developing our IT and older people initiatives, we have seen a phenomenal increase in demand.

"At first there were only a handful of Age Concerns offering these sorts of facilities for older people, but now we have 60 venues throughout the UK where older people can learn about IT.

"We also use computer buses to take training into residential areas, day centre, residential care homes and sheltered housing."