An electricity worker from Bexleyheath has worked with a team of colleagues giving 200 years' service to keep the capital's lights on.

Paul Smiles, central London area manager, and three of his colleagues joined UK Power Networks as teenage apprentices in 1977.

Paul has been rewarded with a special service as part of the 40-plus club due to his years of service delivering electricity supplies across the south east, London and east Anglia.

The 58-year-old from Bexleyheath works in Covent Garden running a team for power supplies in the central London area.

He joined the business as a student apprentice, spending five years split between work and university.

To put Paul's career into context, when he joined James Callaghan was the Prime Minister, Sex Pistols topped the charts and the Queen celebrated her silver jubilee.

Paul said: “Not many people in our organisation have the opportunity to start up a brand new team and see it develop and that’s the latest job that I have got. Every day is different, it’s fun. You have to enjoy it or you wouldn’t stay.

“The highlights of my career have been the incidents where you use your knowledge and see the whole company working together as one team. That’s the best part of the whole job. The industry is always changing and I advise newcomers to the industry to learn the basics because if you don’t you will make bad decisions.”

Paul was rewarded along with Ian Campbell, from Sanderstead in Croydon, Winston Bryan, 56 from Crystal Palace, Richard Buckman, 56 from Chesham in Buckinghamshire and Andy Connett from Uxbridge.

This year 18 staff across London and the south east marked their 40th anniversary at the business.