Grateful residents have raised £15,000 for a popular milkman retiring after nearly half a century to help him out until he gets his state pension.
Mick Tutton, 65, has been delivering pints to doorsteps in the suburb of St Michaels in St Albans, Herts, where he is known as 'Mick the Milk, since 1976.
The cheery milkman was also seen as the community's unofficial security guard, social worker, football pundit and cheerleader by local residents.
But he has finally hung up his apron and decided to call it a day after his decades old electric milk float broke down and is beyond repair.
When local residents heard he was retiring they arranged a special fund raising night at local pub The Portland Arms and raised £15,282 as a retirement present.
Mick won't receive his state pension until next year, so they are hoping their donations will see him over the line until then.
More than 100 residents also signed an electronic card wishing him a happy retirement.
Organiser Kate Crick, who lives in Gonnerston, Hertfordshire said: “Mick has been an integral part of our community, working through the night in all weathers to deliver day in, day out to our doorsteps.
“But he was so much more than our milkman.
"He looked out for people, especially the elderly, and became a family friend to many of us. Our children have grown up knowing and loving him, and our dogs too.
"Mick always carried some doggie treats – they got so excited when they saw his float coming down the road.
“When we started this collection, we couldn’t have dreamed we would raise more than £15,000 for our dear friend Mick.
“The huge size of the collection is testament to the love and regard in which Mick was held by the residents of the streets he served."
Apart from cheering up residents, Mick ran in the St Albans half-marathon for many years, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
