Supermarket giant Asda is to stop requesting the age of prospective employees in order to provide equal opportunities for older workers.

The retail giant said that it would welcome applications from people of all ages, from 16 to 70 plus, with many claiming that a substantial number of Asda employees were already over 50.

"We've never had any age discrimination," Penny Mortimer, a manager at one Asda store, told This Is Lancashire.

"One gentleman who has worked here for the past five or six years as a greeter is over the age of 80, and around 20 per cent of my colleagues are 50-plus.

"Age isn't important - the most important things we look for when we're recruiting are cheerfulness, a sense of humour and the ability to get on with people."

The move, which comes as good news for older jobseekers, comes ahead of new age-discrimination legislation being introduced by the government in October this year, although a ban on asking for a date of birth on application forms is not included.

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