One in ten of adults have yet to log on and use the internet

‘Struggling to access benefits’

ALMOST one in ten adults in Scotland has never used the internet, official figures show.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that 9.1 per cent of Scots have yet to log on.

The ONS said Scotland’s figures had shown a dramatic drop since 2011, when 17.2 per cent of the population said they had not surfed the web.

The report, gathered between January and March, pinpointed West Lothian as the biggest web users, with 93.6 per cent of people saying they have gone online. Neighbouring East Lothian reported a figure of 93.1 per cent.

The Borders reported 86.3 per cent of its population as having used the internet followed by Glasgow and the Highlands, with 87.3 per cent online.

Northern Ireland had the highest number of non-users, with 12.8 per cent of the population claiming they had never surfed the net.

But Yorkshire and the Humber reported figures of 10.2 per cent, North-East England 10 per cent, and the West Midlands 9.4 per cent. London reported the lowest number of non-users, with only per cent.

Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: ‘As services move online, it’s vital to ensure older and more vulnerable people are not left behind.

‘Hundreds of thousands of older people are struggling to access benefits such as council tax reduction, and risk paying surcharges for their energy and insurance.’

However, some experts have warned of the dangers of becoming addicted to being online.

UK Addiction Treatment said the ease of access to the internet is sparking cravings and added that one in three patients it has treated this year was for an internet-based illness.