LONELINESS among the elderly is more of a concern than ever before, according to the leader of an older persons group in the Vale.

Fred Kaler said he is worried the number of people who will be lonely this Christmas is increasing, especially in men.

The concerns raised by the chairman of the Evesham and District Older Peoples Forum come as figures show more than half a million elderly people face Christmas alone.

Mr Kaler, also Evesham's Deputy Mayor, said: "Loneliness is a problem and I think it's getting worse. Organisations are making every effort possible but it's very, very difficult.

"Our organisation physically contact people who they know are on their own. They try and organised things in the run up to Christmas and as quickly as they can afterwards.

"I think people need entertainment in some form, they need to be able to smile and laugh. This is one of the big problems. So we are very concerned about the affect loneliness is having, particularly with men.

"I try my best, I will call people I know are on their own on Christmas day but the sad thing is people are even worried to pick up the phone these days."

The problem is not confined to Evesham with leaders of groups in Worcester also raising concerns.

Peter Donald, of the Worcester branch of the Worcestershire Partnership of Older People's Forums, said: "It is a concern. But there is not too much we can do about it. We lobby councillors and MPs for better services for older people and transport.

"The problem with this time of year is all the hype that surrounds it. You see all the parties and presents and people getting together on TV, that's the problem with loneliness at this time of year."

To try and combat the problem Worcester-based Radfield Home Care has called for people to reach out to elderly people suffering from isolation.

Dr Hannah MacKechnie, director of Radfield Home Care, said: "Loss of friends and family, mobility or income means that older people are particularly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness, and with our ageing population, the figure is only set to rise.

"What’s more, with loneliness being a major catalyst for a range of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression, it’s vital that people take the time out of their own holidays to make sure that the ones they care about aren’t feeling forgotten."

Despite all of these warnings the Campaign to End Loneliness revealed the results of a study from Brunel University London showed older people could be more at risk of feeling lonely in the summer months.

Laura Ferguson, director for the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: "With ten per cent of people in the UK feeling lonely all or most of the time, we are urging all those who support older people at Christmas to continue to maintain contact and support all year round."

Anyone who is feeling lonely can contact the Silver Line Helpline, a confidential and free 24-hour helpline for older people across the country, on 0800 4708090.