Tower Hamlets is bucking the national trend of an ageing population. Just 6.5 per cent of the borough's population is more than 65 years old and the proportion is set to fall over the coming years

Tower Hamlets is bucking the national trend of an ageing population.

Just 6.5 per cent of the borough's population is more than 65 years old and the proportion is set to fall over the coming years.

Dr Anne Kershen, an expert from Queen Mary, University of London, said: "One of the main reasons the statistics are skewed in this direction is because of the large number of Bangladeshi families living in the East End.

"These families tend to be larger and younger than the UK based families so this causes a distortion in the figures."

As well as Bengali families, Dr Kercher suggested the developments in the Docklands contribute to the borough being the youngest in London.

Nationally, the trend builds on a life expectancy increase of 40 per cent over the last 25 years and, with more pensioners than people under 16.