Nine million Britons `have never used Internet`

London: You may call it a generation gap in technology, but over nine million British adults have never used the Internet, official figures have revealed.

According to the UK`s Office of National Statistics, the figures mainly include the elderly, widowed and people on lower incomes who are less likely to connect to the Internet, the `Daily Mail` reported. The ONS figures show that one per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds have never used the Internet, compared to 60 per cent of over-65s. Today more than 38 million adults in the UK are online -- with 30 million accessing the web every day. Mark Williams from the ONS said: "Since 2006 we have seen a significant increase in the number of people using the Internet, with the number of adults accessing the Internet ever day almost doubling to just over 30 million, though the UK is some way off from being completely online. "Usage is closely linked with a number of socio- economic and demographic indicators with those less educated and on lower incomes less likely to access the web." Campaign groups warn Britain faces a "digital divide" if more progress isn`t made to get millions more online. Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director at Age UK, said: "While many older people are embracing the benefits of getting online such as keeping up with friends and family more easily, many people in later life are still missing out. "It is essential that government, business and the third sector work together to provide old people with bespoke training and support to help them get online. Otherwise the digital divide will continue to deepen." Prime Minister David Cameron has raised the issue in the past, saying his government was determined to make sure "people aren`t left behind as more services and business move online". PTI