Pensioner bachelor pads are on the rise as higher divorce rate among older couples has seen the number of elderly renters hit a record high.

As a growing number of so-called "silver splitters" are moving into rented accommodation after leaving the marital home, one in every 12 private rental sector tenants is now a pensioner, a lettings index has found.

Across Britain, retired people now account for 8 per cent of tenants, compared with around one in 20 (5.2 per cent) in 2007, lettings network Countrywide found.

It comes as official data shows divorce among people aged 60 and over in England and Wales been rising since the 1990s.