A Warminster author wants to raise awareness for summertime blues in the elderly generation this coming season.

Leslie Rocker, 90, of Boreham Road has lived on his own for 10 years and wants people to be aware of the loneliness that comes with the summer months for a lot of elderly people in Wiltshire.

While we often associate loneliness with the cold and dark winter days, the summer months can also in fact be a hard time for older people left behind as the holiday season approaches.

Mr Rocker has worked with the Silver Line, a helpline charity providing round the clock friendship, information and advice to older people.

Mr Rocker said: "I'm not your stereotypical lonely elderly person as I like to keep myself busy with being a member of several choirs, and haven't allowed myself to fall into loneliness like many elderly people do, and I like to take walks in the summer when the weather is nice.

"However I do tend to feel isolated in these summer months, when it is hard to keep up contact with people who have gone away on holiday.

"It is very noticeable in elderly men especially who live on their own, as women do seem to be more social.

"I see groups of elderly women meeting up in town for coffee and the alike, but I don't see any men doing this."

"For those men who are divorced like myself or even widowed, it can be hard to keep a social life, and that's all year round, but may be worse in the summer months."

The Silver Lane helpline receives 7 per cent more calls in the first week of the holiday season, and typically over 3,000 more per month in July and August.

Alan Walsh, Head of The Silver Line Helpline said: ""Even if they do have friends and family nearby, for many older people the ‘summer ghost-town’ phenomenon means the usual familiar faces or people they are in daily contact with suddenly aren’t around."

Mr Rocker said: "The Silver Line have really helped through the start of the summer season, as they call me once a week for a lovely chat, and it's just nice to be able to talk about anything, whether that be brexit or the weather."

To find out more about The Silver Line please visit www.thesilverline.org.uk.