Darwen butcher hangs up his knives after 50 years

Tom Turner might not miss the early starts but he says he will miss the people in the market

A market butcher is retiring after more than 50 years working on and then running his family stalls.

Tom Turner, 65, is hanging up his apron and knives after five decades serving customers in Darwen Market in Lancashire.

Working on the market runs in his blood, with three generations of his family having had stalls on Darwen, Blackburn and Chorley markets.

He is the last of the Turners to run it after retiring with wife Andrea, 62.

But though not there in person, the Turner name will continue on Darwen Market with staff Lizzie Sutton and Debbie Cooper taking on his two stalls.

Mr Turner has been working as a butcher since he was a boy.

He said he could bone a body of beef at the age of 12 and had "always absolutely loved my job".

"I felt like I'd won the lottery when I inherited the Turners butchers stall from my dad, and the farm from my uncle," he said.

Mr Turner will still be busy on his farm at Tockholes, supplying Ms Sutton with his lamb and beef.

But he added: "It's definitely the right time to go."

While he probably will not miss the 04:00 starts, he told BBC Radio Lancashire he would miss the people he worked with and his loyal customers.

He added he would still "bob in" from time to time.

Ms Sutton, who started working for Mr Turner 16 years ago, is taking over the fresh meat stall with her husband Jordan.

"We're all sad to see Tom go," she said.

"I've loved working with Tom learning the trade. I helped him out for one Saturday years ago and have never left."

'Long and happy retirement'

Ms Cooper is taking on the cooked meats and cheese stall and said she was "nervously excited".

"It's time for him to leave it to us and enjoy life," she said.

Martin Eden, of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said he wished Mr Turner a "long and happy retirement" after dedicating more than 50 years to Darwen Market.

He said Turners had been "long been part of the fabric" of the market and was "so pleased" Turners would continue.