A Bradford great grandmother has received a special 90th birthday present from Bradford Council’s Sport and Leisure Service – a B-active award.

Mary Sugden, of Wibsey, has been honoured for her continuous efforts to keep fit by attending the Fit4Life Over 50s Keep Fit Mornings at Richard Dunn Sports Centre for 20 years after returning from Portugal, where she had lived in retirement with her husband until his death.

Mrs Sugden, who has 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren, admits she had never exercised properly until her daughter encouraged her to join the exercise classes.

She said: “I used to like walking but I can’t do so much now. My daughter persuaded me to take up these classes. She kept saying ‘You have to do something mother’. She told me about the classes here and I started attending.”

Mrs Sugden, who enjoys good health and rarely visits a GP, said turning 90 on Saturday is not going to stop her from participating in the sessions.

She said: “You haven’t to give in. I’m just doing as I want.

“Age really is just a number and I choose to ignore it.”