Meet 95-year-old Richard Hughes, the Shropshire lad who could be Britain’s oldest paperboy.Each day the residents of Hallcroft Close sheltered housing, in Newport, depend on him.

They want their newspaper – and Mr Hughes is their paperboy. In all weather the former gamekeeper gladly trudges down to the shop. Mr Hughes collects and delivers copies of the Shropshire Star for five or so news-hungry residents.

“I’ve done it for about 20 years – I’m well in with the residents,” he said. “If I stopped they wouldn’t get their papers.”

At 4pm each day Mr Hughes voluntarily dons his cap, puts on his coat, gets his shopping bag and heads to Sandhar’s Costcutter in Salters Lane, Newport, to collect his newspapers.

And there is no let up for tireless Mr Hughes on Sundays when he gets up early to collect the Sunday papers.

Mr Hughes, who has Craven Arms heritage but has lived in Newport and Wellington for most of his life, also moonlights as a binman – dragging residents’ wheelie bins out once a week on collection day because he says “some of the residents are too old to do it themselves”.

He added: “I read the Shropshire Star every day and I go the shop at about 4pm but sometimes the paper can be late.”

He added that the secret to a long, healthy life is not smoking, not drinking, staying active and reading the Shropshire Star – although he admits he enjoys the occasional tot of brandy.

Sue Hughes, housing scheme manager, said: “He goes to the shop in wind, snow and rain – nothing stops him.”

By Tom Johannsen