AN EMPOLOYEE who has spent 50 continuous years at a Skipton firm has been praised for his loyalty, dedication and commitment.

Storeman Brian Hodgson started at industrial finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International, now on the Snaygill industrial estate, in September 1966, when the company was still located in Otley.

When it moved to Skipton in 1984, Brian moved too - and remarkably has now worked alongside four generations of owners the Thomson family.

Brian was one of the first members of staff to be based at Skipton, with the stores being temporarily located in a rental building while the main Guyson site was built.

Brian, who still lives in Otley, in Prestwick Close, with his wife Anne and is set to retire in March next year, was presented with holiday vouchers, chocolates and champagne to mark his half-century of service by Guyson managing director James Thomson.

In his speech, he praised Brian’s loyalty and dedication to the company. Whereas some employees may have left the company when it had decided to relocate out of the Otley, Brian had showed great commitment in staying with the company, he said.

Brian said: "Apart from a few weeks after I left school, when I fitted car radios, I have been at Guyson's all my working life and I've seen it grow from a small company. Any job has its up and downs but it's always been a very pleasant place to work."

He added that he was looking forward to retirement, when he intends to stay active - mainly cycling and fishing - and spend time with Anne, their four children and one grandchild.