SIR – Every stage of life has its advantages and disadvantages, but I fear that old age has more of the latter.

There are compensations, of course – grandchildren, not having to get up early for work and not being bullied into doing things one doesn’t want to do.

Oh, just hang on a minute, I’d forgotten about the all-pervasive nanny state which we now inhabit, and the latest directive for the over-65s – drink no more than half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine a day.

If pensioners want to sit at home having a couple of tots or cans, or even drink themselves under their table, that’s up to them.

And going to the pub to see friends and having a couple of pints – heck even three or four – is one of the few pleasures that many pensioners look forward to.

Being sociable is recommended for mental well-being, and someone who has made it to their mid-60s and beyond is more than entitled to enjoy themselves how they want, be it with a cup of tea or a tankard of fine British ale.

They have seen enough of their freedoms eroded over their lifetime without redress. Leave them alone to enjoy themselves as they choose while they still can.

Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, Main Street, Wressle, Selby