SECURITY guard Keith Severs is a picture of health as he has never had a day off sick in 50 years of work!

But time, rather than illness, has caught up with Keith who celebrates his 65th birthday today (Fri May 25) and has to retire.

It seems that Mr Severs, who works for Bury Council, is only going because of the authority's policy of retirement at 65.

"I'd like to carry on for at least a couple of years, but it's only fair that somebody else has a go," he said.

"I'll get a part-time job somewhere doing something to keep me active. I don't believe it when people say you have loads to do when you retire. I think you might slow down and quickly stop!" Mr Severs was in the RAF and worked in the furniture business before joining the council as a security officer in late 1988. Alas, Keith has no secret recipe for half a century's good health amid the flu epidemics and colds which sweep the country.

"It's just pure natural good luck," he said. "I went for a medical this week at the occupational health unit, and they say I'm fit, A1, carry on regardless!"

Mr Severs, who lives in Elton in Bury, has been married to Barbara for 32 years and has two children.

His colleagues bade him farewell, and an almost certainly healthy future, at the Bradley Fold depot yesterday (Thurs May 24).

His boss, security and emergency services manager Mr Tony Keith, added: "We are all going to miss him. The security staff we have working for us are all very committed to the job but it is wonderful, as co-ordinator of the service, to know you have someone like Keith who will be turning in when others are dropping all around with the latest batch of flu doing the rounds."