A RUISLIP veteran once saved by British fishermen in Dunkirk has reached the age of 100.

John Fitzgibbon, who has lived in Hillingdon for more than 60 years, was in the Territorial Army before founding the Heathrow division of the Royal British Legion.

He has reached the grand age of 100 despite only giving up smoking two years ago, breaking a habit of 86 years.

The native Scot, born in Glasgow, has been compared to a naughty teenager by staff at the Poplars care home, after sneaking a nightly tipple of whisky smuggled in by his sister.

Poplars director Sam Cader said: “He is almost one of those persons that you can very easily say, ‘You don’t really make them like that anymore’.”

Helping him celebrate his special birthday on Friday were the mayor and mayoress of Hillingdon, a bagpiper from RAF Northolt and family members from as far away as the Scottish island of Barra.

Centre of attention Mr Fitzgibbon joked: “Everybody wants to talk and I can’t understand any of them.”

Mayor George Cooper gifted him green and white flowers to represent his Celtic upbringing, and presented him with the ceremonial card from the Queen.

Councillor Cooper said of the veteran: “It is nice to meet a real hero, as opposed to someone who has just won a talent contest.”