'He Had Plenty Of Spirit'

A 111-year-old pensioner, thought to be the oldest man living inBritain, has died.

Former Polish army colonel Jerzy Pajaczkowski-Dydynski, who was known to his friends as George, died peacefully at a nursing home in Cumbria on December 6, said a member of his care staff.

Mr Dydynski, who was born in 1894, was a veteran of two world wars and saw six different monarchs on the throne.

He was born in an area which was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and fled the German invasion of Poland in 1940 to Britain.

He settled in Scotland where he worked as a gardener before moving to Sedbergh in Cumbria.

Ill health forced him to move into the Boarbank Hall nursing home in Grange-over-Sands in July 2003.

He was born in Lwow on July 19, 1894 and first studied law at the University of Vienna, before joining the Polish Army following the outbreak of the First World War.

He was still serving with the military when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, but escaped to Britain the following year.

Nursing staff at the home, which is run by the Augustinian Sisters, said they believed Mr Dydynski had died of old age and added he would be sadly missed.

One member of staff said: "He was well loved by everyone here. He had plenty of spirit and would happily chat in either English or Polish."

He leaves behind an elderly son and daughter, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.