HE'S such a good customer his local named the beer after him!

Great-grandad Jimmy Mitchell has earned the unique honour from the Postal Order in Blackburn town centre.

Glaswegian Jimmy, 78, was a postman for 36 years in Blackburn and has been a much-loved regular at the pub for five.

The new beer, called 'Jimmy's Postal Brew', has been brewed by Robert Bell's 'Three Bs Brewery' based in Feniscowles, Blackburn.

The bitter is fast becoming a favourite with customers -- and has one big fan in particular.

Jimmy said: "I have a few pints a day, but don't tell my doctor!

"It's very nice, I really like it -- but I've got to like it, it's got my name on it!"

The ale was named after Jimmy following a 'Name that Beer' competition run by the East Lancashire Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

Mat Burns, shift manager at the pub, said: "All the staff love him, he's a great character."

Jimmy worked in the Postal Order building, in Darwen Street, in his first seven years as a postman. It was then the town's main post office, before it closed in 1972.

Jimmy, who has lived in Rothesay Road, Shadsworth, since 1957, grew up in the ship-building community of the Scotstoun West area of Glasgow and worked in the shipyards from the age of 14. He went on to serve in the army in Egypt.

After the Second World War the construction trade brought him to East Lancashire. In Blackburn he met his wife Jane and settled down. Sadly Jane died at the age of 49 and Jimmy never re-married. But Jimmy enjoyed his time as a postman and never took promotion.

He said: "I liked it working in-and-around Blackburn, working in the fresh air.

"We took pride in our job then."

Jimmy retired in 1990 and now spends a couple of hours on an afternoon enjoying a pint. Just before Christmas Jimmy had a heart attack and fell, breaking his head open and damaging his neck but he is now recovering.

Mat said naming the beer after Jimmy was an appropriate gift after he overcame his difficulties. He said: "We were all glad to have him back and in tribute we gave a beer to his name."