MAYOR Geoff Pearl showed he’s a man not to be messed with when he dropped in at an over-60s fitness session.

Wearing a ju-jitsu suit and his black belt, the mayor of St Helens impressed the crowd with his martial arts skills at St Nicholas Church Hall, New Street.

The session was part of Fit Forever, a programme of casual sporting events at centres across the borough, designed to fulfil the needs of older members of the community.

Developed by St Helens Council’s sports development team together with the public health team, sessions offer a range of activities, including indoor and outdoor bowls, archery, darts and new age kurling.

Councillor Pearl said: “We’ve seen a fantastic turnout. It’s wonderful to see so many older people participate in sporting activities. It goes to show, just because you’ve reached pensionable age, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep fit.”

If football is more to your taste, Fit Forever has its own slow-paced version of the beautiful game dubbed ‘walking football’ - the activity, which saw a successful launch in January, runs every Wednesday evening from 7 to 8pm at the YMCA Beacon Sports Hall, in North Road.

For information on Fit Forever sessions, contact Michaylo Fedyk on 01744 675402 or e-mail sportsdevelopment@sthelens.gov.uk.