A 94-year-old man has finally retired after 80 years of work.

Tommy Holden started at his last job at Lancashire Saw Company Ltd in Blackburn, at the ripe old age of 67, and has worked his four-hour cleaning shift five days a week ever since.

Tommy, who was born in Blackburn in 1920, was thrown a celebratory party at the Gorse Street factory yesterday, which was also attended by his wife of 58 years, Evelyn, 92, and his two daughters.

An engineer by trade, Tommy, who now lives in Great Harwood, said that his secret was doing 100 press ups a day since he was a teenager and riding his push bike to work.

Despite stopping riding his bike to work, Tommy still attempts to do his 100 press ups a day, a feat that he credits for his longevity.

The grandad of five and great grandad of four first held down a job when he was 14, delivering cinema new reels in Rishton.

He joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1942 and spent the Second World War serving in the Middle East as an engineer.

After being demobbed, Tommy went on to work at Mullards and the Royal Ordnance Factory in Blackburn.

He retired aged 65 but joined the Lancashire Saw Mill Ltd less than two years later.

Tommy said: “I’ve always enjoyed working and I’m not one to sit at home and do nothing all day.

“I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family now that I’ve officially retired.

“I tried retirement once before but it didn’t suit me and I was desperate to get back to work.”

His daughter, Alwyn Hayes, 57, said: “He has always liked the jokes with the lads and talking about football with them.”

Company director, Stephen Bentley, said: “He will be missed around the factory.

“He gets on very well with all the lads and he is such a character.

“People are more important to us here than their age and I’ve been happy to employ him as long as he wanted.

“It has been great to have him around.”