HUNDREDS of residents and shoppers gathered around the Billinge Co-Op last weekend to give a long-term employee Geoff Bonney a guard of honour in his last day of the job.

Geoff is much-loved in the area, having worked at the Main Street site for 20 years.

The 66-year-old from Billinge didn’t know anything about the plans, which as well as it culminated on Saturday, September 21 in a huge crowd bidding him a happy retirement.

It also saw a cardboard cut out of him being passed around the village with people taking the chance to take pictures with it ahead of his last day.

(Image: A cardboard cut out of Geoff also went around the village)

His proud sister Linda Boyle said: “Geoff was totally overwhelmed he doesn’t like a lot of fuss and he didn’t realise so many people even knew who he was and would want to make a fuss of him.

“He was made up though and he did a little speech after he was led outside the store saying thank you for being wonderful customers for the last 20 years and the way so many people came out has really meant so much to him.

(Image: Geoff's retirement)

“Especially the fact the cardboard cutout with pictures got passed throughout the town and he was made up to find out that it even went into Blackburns his favourite place to get pies so that really made his day.”