A LOYAL worker at a Halesowen lens maker found himself in the frame when colleagues marked his 40 years of long service.

Quality control supervisor Luke Warrican joined Scrivens’ lens manufacturer Mersona as a teenage apprentice at and worked his way up.

He was presented with various gifts, including an iPod and hi fi system, by chairman of the family-owned business Nicholas Georgevic in recognition of the milestone.

Mr Warrican, aged 59, said he had no idea when he started he would still be working there 40 years later.

He said: “One of the main reasons has been the people; I have always worked with a good group of colleagues.

“We were originally based in Birmingham before moving to Halesowen. Most of the workforce are from the Black Country and they are great to work with.

“I am also grateful to the company for the support they gave me when my late wife became ill and I needed flexible working to look after my young family. That was 20 years ago but I have never forgotten the help I was given when I needed it.”

The father-of-four now has eight grandchildren and plans to carry on working for a good few years yet.

Mr Georgevic said: “To reach 40 years service is a real milestone and we congratulate Luke on this achievement. He does not like fuss but we wanted to show our gratitude.

“We are a family business and we recognise that loyalty from our staff has played a critical part in our success.”