A KIND-hearted regular churchgoer was treated to a surprise 90th birthday party when he attended a service on Sunday.

Bill Johnson, of Pennine Lane, Golborne, was greeted with a rendition of Happy Birthday To You at the Heath Street Methodist Church before enjoying the service and a proceeding reception with four generations of family and friends.

The surprise celebration was organised by his niece Linda Good and her cousin Sue Wood.

Linda said: “He is very well liked and has done a lot for people in the community.

“All the work he does is voluntary, such as laying out church halls at weekends and driving people to the shops.

"He is well known and well loved because of it.

“My uncle Bill has always said that he doesn’t like a fuss and doesn’t want anything for his birthday, but because he does a lot for other people and he is not in the best of health we though it would be nice.

“He has always been a man of faith too and used to be a chorister in the choir at St Thomas’ Church.”

Widower Bill has lived in Golborne all his life and worked as a haulage driver for Claridge Coach and Haulage Company Ltd.

He completed his national service in Vienna for the Lancashire Fusiliers from 1947 to 1949.

Bill's wife Nellie died in 1997.