Figures released by the Tribunal Service show that Age Discrimination Claims rose from 962 in 2006 to 2,940 in 2007. This trend is expected to continue in 2008 and beyond as people become more aware of their new found rights.

The figures come just days after Selina Scott reached a settlement with Channel Five, thought to be about £300,000, after claiming she had been the victim of age discrimination. The 57-year-old presenter sued the broadcaster after claiming she had been lined up to provide maternity cover for Natasha Kaplinsky on Five News but was subsequently bypassed.
Miss Scott claimed that Channel Five had backed out of a £200,000 presenting deal because they felt she was too old, choosing Isla Traquair, 28, instead.

The latest figures, released earlier this year, showed that the pay gap between men and women had widened for the first time in years. The new Equality Bill is due to be presented to Parliament this spring, and not a moment too soon, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's fifth annual Sex & Power report, which recorded a drop - for the first time - in women attaining top jobs. In 12 out of 25 job categories, it found fewer women in top posts than in 2007