Among junior officers, 14.5pc of those aged 50-54 stopped work in 2021, the second-highest share of any job cohort in the country.

Firefighters have a normal retirement age of 55, although they are allowed to work for longer if they are physically able to.

In the year ending March 2023, just 3.6pc of full-time firefighters were aged 56 or over, according to official Home Office figures.

Most mortgages are offered at the underwriters’ discretion, meaning that if a homebuyer can prove that they have plans to work elsewhere until a later age, they will be able to take out a longer term. 

Longer terms became much more popular in the wake of Liz Truss’ disastrous mini-budget, as mortgage rates soared.

The average two-year fix with a 75pc loan-to-value (LTV) is now 5.89pc, whereas a five-year fix stands at 5.39pc, according to data from comparison website Uswitch.

At the end of 2021, the average fixed-rate mortgage had an interest rate of just 1.94pc, according to data from the Office of National Statistics.

Charles Roe, UK finance director of mortgages, said: “Lenders will look at prospective borrowers’ financial circumstances when making a decision, but this doesn’t generally entail particular occupations facing more scrutiny than others.

“We would encourage customers to speak to an independent mortgage adviser to discuss the best options available for their specific circumstances.”