NEARLY 50,000 people across Dorset are missing out on virtual catch-ups with loved ones because they don't use the internet.

Around 33,000 people in the Dorset Council area and 14,000 in the BCP area are unlikely to be using the internet during the lockdown, according to statistics.

Office for National Statistics data reveals the number of people missing out according to a study carried out last year.

The majority are likely to be older people, according to the ONS.

The Campaign to End Loneliness says there is a still a "big digital divide", with around a fifth of people in the UK not owning a smartphone – leaving some adults without access to the technology that would enable them to connect with others via social media or messaging apps.

Last year, the ONS asked people whether they had used the internet in the last three months.

Of those surveyed, 10 in Dorset and five per cent in BCP said they had not recently been online, or had never used the internet.

Across the rest of the UK an average of nine per cent of adults were not online.

Separate figures from the ONS meanwhile showed there were ​30,000 over 65s living alone in Dorset in 2011 and 20,600 in the Bournemouth and Poole areas. These figures are from the last census, but the ONS says the figures are unlikely to have changed much.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, warned that keeping in touch digitally is not an option for many older people, with over-75s making up more than half of the four million people in the UK last year who had never used the internet.

She said: "While some of us are thanking our lucky stars for Face Time, Zoom, Skype and the rest, millions of older people are at risk of feeling completely isolated because they are not online.

"It’s really important we factor this in and ensure different arrangements are in place for this group, so they do not miss out.

"The telephone still has a crucial role to play and we must not allow it to be entirely eclipsed as everyone searches for the best way of keeping in touch at this incredibly abnormal time.”

Kate Shurety, executive director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, added that although technology won't replace the feeling of chatting with someone in real life, it can help.

"Staying in touch with friends, family and neighbours can ease feelings of loneliness," she said.

"It’s not just about checking in, it’s about connecting. Call your friends and family every day. Talk about how you're passing your time in isolation, reminisce about old memories and plan for the future."