A 91-year-old from Coleford, who recently retired as the UK’s oldest butcher, has been named a finalist in the Amplifon Awards For Brave Britons 2022.

Marian Voyce has reached the final four of the Active Agers category in global-hearing specialist Amplifon’s search for the ‘Best of British’ heroes.

She was forced to give up the job she loved after having a fall at her home.

Mrs Voyce will now be invited to the virtual awards presentation on Tuesday, October 11.

The event will be hosted by BBC1 TV Breakfast and Radio 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden and Falklands War hero Simon Weston will be guest of honour.

Marian continued to work six days a week at her butcher’s shop in Newland Street throughout the pandemic – insisting that “people need food” and that she didn’t want to let down her regular customers.

She would arrive early three days a week to collect the 7am deliveries, while Mondays were dedicated to cleaning.

Marian’s father-in-law, Frederick, started FC Voyce in 1932, the shop where she eventually worked for 50 years – 20 years on her own after the death of her husband Lionel.

The couple met at the business’s market stall when she was buying meat and they married in 1959, with Marian joining the family business.

The shop recently closed when Marian had a fall at home and was unable to continue to work but she retains many fond memories of her time behind the counter.

She said: “I loved working in the shop because it allowed me to meet so many people and I enjoyed chatting to them about their days. I got a lot of the same people coming in every week and they became friends.

“I would have carried on working even longer but for my fall and I do miss it.

“If I ever see old customers out in Coleford they do always stop for a chat, which is lovely.”

Marian has a son and is now enjoying her retirement in Bream after moving there from Cinderford.

The Amplifon Awards For Brave Britons are in their seventh year and celebrate truly remarkable people and pets and the winners will be judged by a panel including Falklands War Hero Simon Weston.

Set up in honour of Amplifon’s founder, Second World War hero Major Charles Holland, the awards recognise courage and achievement in several categories.Charles Holland was awarded the MBE and Military Cross and after the war he dedicated his life to providing better hearing for people affected by the conflict and in 1950 launched Amplifon which has become a global company specialising in providing the best hearing solutions and devices.