Gordon Brown has urged Britain's pensioners to back Labour in the June 10 elections.

Speaking at a campaign meeting in Fife, the chancellor warned pensioners that the Conservatives would "hit pensioners in the future just as they did last time they were in power".

He pointed to figures showing that under Labour the number of pensioners in poverty has fallen by half a million.

And he said that since 1997 pensioner households were on average £1,350 a year better off.

Brown argued that Labour had "kept its promise to do more for Britain's pensioners".

"I want every pensioner - all those who have worked so hard all their lives for the rest of us, brought up their families, created the society the rest of us are so fortunate to live in - to have dignity and security in retirement," he said.

Ahead of the European elections, the chancellor also highlighted the role of Labour MEPs in promoting pensioner rights across the continent.

He said that as a result of Labour's measures the government is now spending around £10 billion more in real terms on pensioners than in 1997.

"But I want to warn pensioners today of the threat the Tories pose to their incomes. Their plans would hit pensioners in the future just as they did last time they were in power," he said.

"The Tories have opposed every measure Labour has taken to help pensioners, and are now committed to a pensions policy that would actually leave the poorest pensioners worse off.

"In government, the Tories abolished the earnings link and only increased the basic state pension once in 18 years - and only then to off-set the effects of imposing VAT on fuel - leaving 2.7 million pensioners in poverty."