The Foreign Office has expressed increasing concern over the behaviour of Britain’s over55s abroad, according to a report published last week.

New research shows that one in five British tourists aged 55 or more is taking risks that they wouldn’t contemplate at home – bungee jumping, waterskiing and riding mopeds among them – and a similar number report that they or their partner have been injured while on holiday. Many are uninsured.

Binge drinking is the biggest issue. “Most problems that we see with the older generation arise from the overconsumption of alcohol,” says Rania Kossiori, the British vice consul in Rhodes. “After too many drinks, people can become abusive, shouting at resort staff. We’ve also had instances where a few too many drinks have led older guests to overestimate their strength – going swimming in bad weather, for example – which has ended in tragedy.”

“It’s disgusting the way some older clients behave,” said holiday rep Lucy Greene, 22, a veteran of three summers in the Greek islands. “They’re usually the first to complain about younger people, but they’re the ones parading around in skimpy costumes. They spend all day drinking and shouting, then they collapse on their sunbeds and get sunstroke – and they’re older than my grandmother.”

Not even the traditionally genteel pursuit of cruising is above the Saga louts. A senior steward serving aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria says levels of passenger decorum have dropped significantly in recent years. “On the maiden voyage, I saw some particularly loathsome behaviour, with the most unseemly scramble for memorabilia,” the steward says. “The cruise line was giving away commemorative Wedgwood plates, many of which have now turned up on eBay, and I saw several nasty arguments break out after some passengers queued up twice for their freebies.”

Cunard’s president, Carol Marlow, claims to be unaware of any bad behaviour on her ships. “Ladies and gentlemen who sail with Cunard are looking for a civilised experience reflecting the golden age of ocean-liner travel,” she said.

Saga, which specialises in travel for the over50s, isn’t happy with the term “Saga louts”, coined by the playwright Alan Bennett. “I think the FO’s heart is in the right place, warning about travelling without insurance, but this report is rather discriminatory,” it said. “Just because you’ve turned 50, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.”

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