The UK’s oldest goldfish has died aged 44.
Keith Allies, 75, won George and Fred at a funfair in 1974 and gave them to his then 18-year-old girlfriend, Mary.
Both fish lived long enough to see the couple get married, move into their first home and have their daughter Emma.
But sadly Fred passed away two years ago, at the age of 42.
Former bank manager Mary, now 62, said that George started to go downhill after the loss of his best friend.
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She said: ‘I called my daughter Emma in tears. After all these years he became a part of the family.
‘He’d been struggling to swim for a around a month and hadn’t been the same since Fred died.’
She and her husband had begun to think George would outlive them both, adding that the secret to the fish’s old age was ‘regular exercise, a diet of goldfish flakes and regular water changes’.
‘They were little celebrities in our community, people would tell us “You’ve got the oldest goldfish in Britain and possibly the world”,’ she said.
Retired engineer Keith of Worcester, said: ‘I know it sounds ridiculous, but they are my best buddies, so I’m so happy for them.
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‘We go on holiday to Devon a lot, but I can never be away from my babies for too long so I have to drive back after a week or so.
‘They’re still as healthy and active as they were when we first got them – no-one can believe how old they are.
‘We first had a little bowel for them, but after a year we upsized to a square tank that was three feet wide.
‘They’ve now been through seven bowels in total, but we only ever fill them with tap water. The secret is feeding them regularly and showing them a lot of fuss.’
George lost more and more of his colouring as time went on and was almost entirely silver when he died.
Goldfish typically have a life span of around five to 10 years.
Experts say buying a large tank, increasing oxygen diffusion in the water and providing interesting scenery for your fish could help lengthen its life.
