Ref. 29411-46AT 88, Charlie Reynolds is the oldest paper boy in the country but says he has no intention of giving up yet.

Mr Reynolds, of Ermin Street, Stratton, has been delivering papers in the area for more than 55 years.

Even today he joins a team of more than a dozen considerably younger paper boys and girls for a half-hour round delivering papers to 20 homes.

In the afternoon he takes charge of the family shop, Reynolds, which he bought in 1961 and handed down to his son Charlie in 1979.

Mr Reynolds said: "Doing the rounds and working in the shop keeps my mind active. Even now in the shop I do all the sums in my head.

"During the week my round takes about half an hour, but I do a little more at weekends.

"The only thing that bothers me at the moment is the cold, but I just clap my hands together and keep going. I am in wonderful health. I can't remember the last time I had a headache and only occasionally I get a cold."

When he's not working, Mr Reynolds tends his garden and drives himself and wife Phyllis to the shops in his immaculate 35-year-old Rover 2000.

His son also called Charlie now runs the shop. "People love seeing Dad delivering the papers," said Mr Reynolds junior, 56.

"Most of them cannot believe he is still delivering papers at his age, and when he is driving his car it is like watching an episode of Heartbeat seeing him go by."

Born in 1922 in South Marston, Mr Reynolds senior grew up in Swindon and worked as an apprentice boiler worker in the railways before heading for the south coast to work for Saunders-Roe flying-boat company.

When World War II broke out his boiler welding experience was invaluable to the war effort and he was moved to the shipyards helping to build motor torpedo boats.

In 1948 he returned to Swindon where one of his sisters had married a Swindon newsagent by the name of Samworth.

Mr Reynolds said: "When I returned to Swindon and saw he was doing so well I thought if he can do it so can I. I can't see myself giving up until I am 90."

He began delivering papers, including the Evening Advertiser, from his Ermin Street home before the opportunity arose to buy the shop. He has delivered around a million newspapers in that time around half being Advers.

Mr Reynolds will be celebrating his 65th wedding anniversary in June.

In February 2002, Arthur Salmon, from Stoke-on-Trent claimed to be the country's oldest paper boy at the age of 83 but now it seems this record has been beaten.

Anthony Osborne