Britain's oldest binman still doing the rounds at 82 - with no plans to put a lid on his career

Detailed summary

EXCLUSIVE: Biffa worker John Wesbroom, 82, has walked nearly 60,000 miles and emptied nearly six millions bins during his career spanning 50 years

A sprightly grandad is thought to be Britain's oldest binman - getting up before dawn at the age of 82.

Biffa dustman John Wesbroom has plied his trade since the 1970s, clocking up 45 hours a week and emptying more than 1,000 bins every day with a colleague. He has emptied nearly SIX MILLION bins during his career and walked nearly 60,000 miles - the equivalent of six times the length of Britain.

But he says life on the bins makes him feel younger and he can't wait to get out of bed in the morning to start his day. John says that despite being 16 years past the official retirement age, he's not looking to stop the early morning shifts yet. He gets up at 3.30am each morning to start his 5.45am shift on the round and walks around five miles a day.

He mainly works on the garden waste round, which are the heaviest bins. He put his fitness down to not smoking or drinking and going to bed before 10pm. John said: "I love what I do, it keeps me busy and I enjoy the banter with the people I work with and the public. People are shocked when I tell them my age but it keeps me fit and happy.

"You do have to be fit to be picking up the bins on my rounds, I walk about five miles a day and between me and another loader we are emptying up to 1,000 bins a day. The biggest bonus in my job is the people I meet, I just love talking to people, I've had the same customers for many years and seeing them every week you follow their lives too, it's brilliant."

John, from Oxfordshire, also said that earning a full-time wage gives him the freedom to live the life he wants. He said: "I love to treat my grandchildren, I've got six so it's nice to be able to spend time with them and give them a little something too."

John said his family are supportive of him working at his age, he added: "They thinks it's great and they tell me to keep on going. I can take the grandchildren to McDonalds without worrying about money. I even play football with them."

The green waste John collects with South Oxfordshire…

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