THE man with the golden voice is leaving Worcester.

After 16 years, George Porter (right) - who set up the Pattmans solicitors' office, in The Tything, in 1988 - is retiring and moving to pastures new.

But far from "doing nothing", the 60-year-old conveyancer plans to do some voice-over work or even local radio.

"Everyone in Worcester knows my voice - I only have to say hello and they immediately say "hi George", even if I haven't spoken to them for five years," admitted Mr Porter, who is moving with his wife of 37 years, Helen, to a small village just outside Cambridge.

"I was offered a job about 20 years ago doing voice work but I was very happy and settled and I said no. But I think I'd like to do that - I've always wanted to do the adverts for Mr Kipling Cakes! I like dealing with people - I'm good with people."

It is the people Mr Porter has worked with during the past 16 years that he will miss.

"I'll miss all the friendships of the staff and all the agents, mortgage brokers and other solicitors in the town who I have got on so well with. Everybody's been wonderful, sending dozens of cards and saying 'we'll miss you'."

Staff at the Pattmans office - which employs eight people - threw a surprise party for Mr Porter, who lives in St Peter's Worcester.

What the father of two, and grandfather of four, will not miss, are new regulations and changes to the law that have been introduced in recent years.

"In the last five years there have been so many changes - solicitors can now go to prison if their client has been money laundering, even if they did not know about it! It's not the same as it used to be.

"But I will miss Worcester - it's a beautiful place. We just want a total change. It's a new phase of my life. I'm going to indulge in my passion of fishing a lot"!