At the grand old age of 104, Ivy Bean knows how to keep a secret – even from the Prime Minister.

For when Gordon Brown asked Ivy who she would be voting for, she refused to tell him.

But Ivy, who was invited to a reception at 10 Downing Street as a VIP guest of the PM, did let slip to the Telegraph & Argus that Mr Brown impressed.

“He was absolutely lovely, but I still wasn’t going to tell him who I’m voting for,” she said.

Within hours of the occasion to celebrate Britain’s Ageing Society, Sarah Brown was posting pictures of her and Ivy on Twitter, where Ivy already has more than 48,000 followers.

“She asked if she could follow me on Twitter, she was very nice too,” said Ivy who also met Michael Parkinson and actor Richard Wilson, who both campaign for older peoples’ rights.

Ivy was invited to the reception, along with representatives from the country’s leading charities and organisations, to hear about Labour’s plans for looking after the elderly.

It was the first time the great-grandmother had been to London and, despite the draw of the big city, she was glad to be back home in her own bed at Hillside Manor residential home, Bradford, shortly after midnight.

“ It was worth every minute going down there but I was glad to get to bed,” she said.