Plumber Richard is made master of his trade - at 91

Richard Lance Welborn, who lives in a care home at Langley Park, County Durham, worked at the now-defunct Scottish and Newcastle brewery near St James' Park, Newcastle.

He helped maintain and design the intricate pipework needed to produce the city's most famous tipple and ales such as Exhibition.

Now he has been awarded the plumbing trade's equivalent of a degree.

Mr Welborn is the oldest recipient of the Master Plumber certificate and joins the ranks of only 200 other holders.

It was presented by the president of the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, Peter Ashby, Newcastle branch chairman John Powden and branch secretary Dick Maddison.

Mr Welborn spent the best part of 40 years working at the former brewery - production moved to Dunston, Gateshead, in 2005 - and, although it is years since he had wielded a blow torch, he keeps his hand in by doing designs of pipework.

Mr Welborn, who used to live in the Gosforth area of Newcastle, received his City and Guilds certificate from New College Durham aged 70.

Mr Ashby said: "A Master Plumber Certificate is almost equivalent to a university degree.

"You have got to have the advanced City and Guilds certificate and the experience of over 15 years in the plumbing industry.

"There are about 200 people who have it and Mr Welborn is the oldest person I have ever known receive it.

Mr Welborn said that he wrote to the institute to become a Master Plumber after seeing an article about it in the institute magazine, outlining his experience and qualifications.

He said of his time at the brewery: "It was hard labour in those days. There were no electrical implements, it was all hammer and chisel, all done by hand. I enjoyed my work. My wife used to say I was married to the brewery.

"The pipework in a brewery is much more complex than that in a house.''

He added he was proud to receive the certificate. "It is something to brag about but I'm not a bragging man.'