Over-50s less likely to worry about infidelity

Baby-boomers who came of age in the Swinging Sixties have hung on to their liberal sexual attitudes and are far more relaxed about infidelity than younger people, research has found.

A poll comparing the views of overand underfifties found the same proportion of older and younger people admit to cheating on their partner, at about a quarter. But the overfifties are far less likely to worry about it or see it as a reason to split up.

Only 36 per cent of over-50s who were unfaithful said that they regretted it, compared with 52 per cent of the younger group doing so. A quarter of over-50s said that they would break up with their partners for cheating compared with half of the under50s.

Twice as many over-50s as under-50s said that they would forgive their partners if they found out that they had been unfaithful.

However, total forgiveness was rare among all ages. Only 8 per cent of the older group and 4 per cent of the younger people said that they would be able to follow the example of Pauline Prescott, wife of the former Deputy Prime Minister, and pardon an unfaithful partner. Mrs Prescott forgave her husband, John, for his affair with his secretary, Tracey Temple.