At least that's the recipe for longevity for Victor Cummings, from West End, who today celebrates his 100th birthday.

The First World War veteran will be raising his daily glass of Whitbread best bitter at his home in West End to toast the occasion.

And to stop his landmark birthday going flat, the brewery is sending him five cases of the beer.

Victor, who carried out bombing raids on German strongholds in occupied Europe as a 17-year-old in the Royal Flying Corps, said: "I don't have any particular secret to living so long, but I do have a glass of beer every day."

A Whitbread Beer Company spokeswoman said: "When we heard about Victor we really wanted to reward such a loyal customer."

Victor, who lives with his 84-year-old wife Gladys at their home in Little Quob Lane, said he was healthy because he had continued the physical training exercises that he learned during the 1914-1918 war for many years afterwards.

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