No deadline for retirement for "newsboy" Rod

Meet Roderick Gregg who has been delivering papers for seven days a week for the past 12 years which could possibly make him one of the oldest "paperboys" in Lancashire.

And Rod certainly has no plans to retire just yet.

He said: "I love doing this job, why would I give it up?

"It gets me out in the fresh air and I get to see all the lovely countryside we have around here everyday.

"Seeing the sunrise over the hills, what could be better than that?"

A former farmer who also ran his own milk round for several years, Rod ended up working for Park News in Barrowford as a favour for the former owner, Ken Thompson.

Rod said: "I was doing some driving work for Bannister's Bakery and Ken asked me if I wouldn't mind helping at the shop."

Happy to oblige, Rod, who lives in Barrowford with his wife Mary, went along to help out

Now, more than a decade later, he is a regular fixture at the shop in Gisburn Road, delivering newspapers and magazines to 100 homes every morning across Barrowford and up to Blacko.

After helping with the time consuming task of sorting the papers, Rod then stacks them all into his car before he sets off on his round.

The only time Rod takes off is Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Julie MacAdam, who has run Park News for the past two years with her partner, Chris Riley, described Rod as a "blessing."

"Rod is an absolute treasure, I don't know how we would manage without him.

"He does a lot more than just deliver papers though, he does alsorts for people including putting out the bins for one elderly customer.

"He comes in here everyday without fail and cheers us all up with his smile and his sense of humour."

A father of five with six grandchildren Rod spends his spare time dealing in Dinky cars, and he has a vast collection of them at his home.

Most of his weekends are spent at fairs across the North West where he can indulge his hobby.