A VETERAN volunteer has retired after 30 years service at Evesham Talking Newspaper.

Jim Swingler, 89, from Broadway Road in Childswickham has completed his last shift as a newsreader.

Evesham Talking Newspaper is compiled by a team of volunteers at a recording studio, selecting news stories from local newspapers and magazines to read.

Mr Swingler only announced he was leaving at the end of his final broadcast.

Mr Swingler said: "I am 89 years old and my voice has lost its flexibility, so I think it is unfortunately time to stop doing it.

"I loved doing it, as I would be reading out the opinion of allsorts of people from mayors and councillors to farmers and choosing the right voice to use for each of them is a good challenge. We aim to give the listener an impression of who is speaking.

"I see it as like an audiobook, you need to reflect when there are two or three different speakers."

Mr Swingler was born in Evesham, and went to Prince Henry's School.

He then moved away from the area, but returned around 30 years ago, when he took on a voluntary post at Evesham Talking Newspaper.

Evesham Talking Newspaper exists to read the news to blind or visually impaired people or for whom an incapacity makes reading a strain, for more information, contact 01386 41165.