LOYAL pensioner, Bob Young, thinks his Kidderminster hairdresser is such a cut above the rest that he has been climbing into the barber's chair for a whopping 80 years.

The 83-year-old has been a patron of Brian J Carter since he was in short trousers and has been asking for the same hairstyle while 17 Prime Ministers, 14 American Presidents and four British monarchs took to the world's stage.

Mr Young said he had "be-comb" more than used to s-nipping into the long-standing business, which is celebrating 50 years in New Road.

The Kidderminster resident said: "I have always been satisfied. That is why I kept going. I have no complaints about the service at all.

"My style is still the same as when I first went. I didn't grow my hair long or have it all shaved off. It has all disappeared naturally."

Brian Carter joined the family business, previously run by his father and grandfather, Reg, in 1966.

He said: "Bob was coming in when I started, so it has been a long time. We must be doing something right to be keeping customers like Bob here so long.

"I would say 90 per cent of the customers are regulars. They come in and sit down and don't have to tell me how they want their hair."

The business moved from Vicar Street in 1955 after a town centre flood, which damaged the shop.

Mr Carter, 50, said: "I have enjoyed myself. I have met a lot of people. In fact, they are not like customers, they are more like friends because we have always got something to talk about.

"I always look forward to coming into work."

His father, John, handed over the business in the early 1990s and was famous for his impeccable sense of timing.

Mr Carter said: "He used to smoke a cigarette while he cut the hair and everybody thought the ash would go down their neck - but he always caught it at the last second."