Britain's oldest smoker dies at 103

Winnie Langley has died at 103 the world's oldest smoker. At her 100th birthday party she said she had had her first cigarette when she was seven years old.

Mrs Langley said: "I have smoked ever since infant school and I have never thought about quitting.

"There were not all the health warnings like there are today when I started. It was the done thing." In fact, she said she was not harmed too much due to not inhaling.

Over her lifetime, Mrs Langley smoked more than 170,000 cigarettes but she outlived her husband, son and all 10 stepchildren. At her birthday party Mrs Langley was photographed lighting a cigarette with a candle.

At the end of her life she was persuaded to give up smoking as her failing eyesight prevented her seeing the end of a match. She had already reduced her 5-a-day habit to just one a day due to rising prices.

Her niece Anne Gibbs said: "There was a lot more to her than just smoking, she was a family person.

Mrs Gibbs added: "She was feisty and stubborn and she also had a wonderful sense of humour. She was incredible right until the end. She was a voracious reader and loved crosswords and puzzles."

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