George Craven is no sucker - he paid £15 for his vacuum cleaner and it is still as reliable nearly 54 years on.

Mr Craven, 86, has been using the Hoover 612 upright twice a week since he bought it in February 1949.

It has witnessed some of historic moments, such as the Queen's Coronation in June 1953 and England's World Cup win in 1966.

Throughout it all, the trusty brown metal device has never wavered, except once when Mr Craven had to buy new carbon brushes for it.

Retired social worker Mr Craven, of Links Drive, Bexhill, said: "It's true what they say: They don't make them like they used to.

"The old girl is still going strong and as reliable now as she was back in 1949.

"But, I've got to admit, I don't really put her through her paces much. Us old people don't really ask a lot. I just get her out about twice a week to make the place look nice.

"There's no special formula as to why she has lasted so long. She has just been well made and well looked after.

"I wouldn't dream of getting rid of her. We've been through a lot together and I intend keeping her."

Great-grandfather Mr Craven bought the Hoover for his late wife Alice from a hardware store in Woolwich, London, following the birth of their second child, Christopher.

In 1962, it followed him to his home in Bexhill.

He said: "If there's one thing I could change, it would be to make her less noisy. She makes one hell of a racket when she gets going."

The Hoover 612 upright was an early example of post-streamlining industrial design with a flat vertical front, quick-release bag and red footswitch.

As newer models flooded the market, the 612 was phased out in the UK by 1959 and replaced with model 638.

A Hoover spokesman said: "It just goes to show how well our products are made."