SILVER surfers are taking over from the youngsters after launching an internet village for the over 50s.

A website, launched by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's Lifelong Learning team, has been designed to encourage even more older people to learn computer skills and use the internet.

The e-village centres around several sheltered accommodation homes which have already installed their own computers and are encouraging their residents to 'mail' and 'surf.'

And Lancashire County Council is looking into following the initiative for residents in other parts of East Lancashire.

Councillor Mahfooz Hussain, Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning said: "Community-based IT courses have proved incredibly popular with older learners in the borough, so the e-village is one way of helping them continue developing those skills."

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "We are really interested in this idea but, as yet, have nothing similar in operation for the elderly. We will certainly be developing new initiatives in the new year."

Residents in Nazareth House, Holly Court and Hornby Court, in Blackburn, were the first to sign up.