OVER 37 years of service, Philip Weir has served thousands of supermarket customers and outlasted five name changes.

Philip, 65, of Poppleton, retired from the Morrisons supermarket, in Front Street, Acomb, earlier this month.

He joined the company, then called Maypole, in 1969, at its George Hudson Street store. He was a fully- trained butcher, having done his apprenticeship with Sainsbury's butchers in London.

In the following decade, the company changed names three times, first to Liptons, then to Markdown, and then to Presto.

Rose Mercer, who works in the bakery at the Acomb store, joined Presto in 1979. Philip was the butchery manager at the store.

Rose said: "He was brilliant with the customers, having a laugh and a joke."

Philip remained butchery manager when he moved to Acomb, before transferring to the newspaper, cigarette and lottery ticket kiosk 11 years ago. Kevin Corr, general manager at the Acomb store, said: "I personally have worked with him on and off for 30 years, and he's been an absolutely top class employee."

Philip is currently in Canada, spending time with his family.