Retirement villages can have a range of benefits, including additional security, good facilities and the opportunity for older people to mix with their peers, according to a leading charity.

A spokesperson for Age Concern states that such facilities can create a ready-made community that offers tailored support for it elderly residents.

However, she added that such communities may not be for everyone as in some cases they are costly to live in and a gated community can lead to people missing out on valuable contact with people of other age groups.

The spokesperson concluded: "There are both pros and cons to retirement villages ... whilst they can be a good option for those who choose to move into them, they are sometimes not suitable, or not an option, for others."

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, Britain has more pensioners that children for the first time and by 2016 there will be 400,000 more women over the age of 60 and men over 65 than children under 16.