A journalist has marked an incredible 60 years working for the same weekly newspaper.

76-year-old Brian Shewry, left, started reporting for the Littlehampton Gazette in 1950 at the age of 16.

And despite retiring from full-time work in 1998, he still regularly writes for the paper on a freelance basis.

Brian’s six decades with the South Coast title will be marked by a special lunch with colleagues this week.

He gained the job after leaving school knowing he wanted to be a journalist.

Brian said: “I always liked writing, and wanted to write, so the obvious thing was to start on a newspaper.

“It was just after the war, though, and all the men had come back and taken every job there was.”

But he had a lucky break because his father found out the family of a man he knew through his allotment owned the Littlehampton Gazette, as well as what was then the Worthing Gazette.

Brian gained the job after an interview and his first task as a journalist was to report on a local fair.

He said: “My first article was about Rustington parish fête. I was sent out and had no idea what I was doing.

“I stayed there all afternoon, in the pouring rain, and collected whatever information I could. It went on the front page, but it wasn’t very well written.”

When he was 21, Brian completed a period of National Service in Germany and returned to the Gazette two years later.

His love of entertainment writing led to him introducing a new column to the newspaper and over the years, he interviewed stars including Tony Hancock, Kathleen Turner and P. D. James.

And Brian has no plans to stop doing the job he loves just yet.

“I don’t suppose I can carry on forever,” he said, “I am sure people do not want to see an 80-year-old man with a Zimmer frame stumble up to interview them!

“But I still enjoy it. I certainly enjoy meeting people, and there is a satisfaction in seeing what you have written in print.”