The internet is becoming increasingly popular among the over-55s, according to survey findings.
Internet researchers NetValue said the the population of so-called silver surfers had increased by almost 90 per cent since last year.
More than two million people in this age-group now regularly accessed the net, accounting for 13 per cent of the total home online population.
The UK has one of the highest percentages of silver surfers in Europe, surpassed only by Sweden with 17.4 per cent and Denmark with 16.3 per cent.
NetValue said online banking was very popular with older people, with more than 40 per cent banking online. NetValue reported almost 25 per cent of all people visiting banking sites were aged 50 or older.
The group was also four times more likely to visit genealogy web sites than the average internet user.
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