A daily fry-up might not sound like the secret to a long life, but bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning haven't done 107-year-old Dorothy Creighton any harm, writes Lucy Packer.

The resident of Pear Tree Court in Horndean shared her secrets to a long and happy life after staff threw a surprise party to celebrate her 107th birthday.

Presented with a cake prepared by the care home's head chef, Dorothy had some words of wisdom to share.

She said: “The secret to a long and happy life is to have a good man, a good family and to keep everyone around me on their toes.

“Also, I can't live without my bacon and eggs every morning, or my jelly babies.”

The home's manager said: “We were so excited to celebrate such a joyous day with Dorothy.

“As a much-loved resident, it was wonderful to mark this tremendous milestone with her.”

Dorothy was born in Bristol and grew up as a tomboy, spending much of her childhood playing football with the boys.

She was working as a hairdresser when the Second World War broke out, but left her job to join the Women's Land Army.

It was a decision that led her to meet her future husband. Dorothy went on to become a mother of three and a great-grandparent.

She moved into Pear Tree Court in 2023 and has since become a familiar face at the home's sweet cart and coffee mornings.

A spokesperson for the London Road home said: “Here at the home, everything we do centres around our ethos of ensuring residents lead active and fulfilling lives – and Dorothy's 107th birthday celebration was no exception.

“It was lovely to see how happy she was to be surrounded by those closest to her on her special day.”