THERE'S not a grey hair or a walking stick in sight - but this could be the oldest cyberpet in East Lancashire.

Eight-year-old Dianne Hawkins was given the electronic toy, christened Baby Dianne, for Christmas.

And it is still "alive" now, having reached the grand old cyberpet age of 49.

Dianne's mum, Paula Holden, of Fawcett Close, Galligreaves, Blackburn, said: "We have five or six of the toys in the house but they all die off after eight days or so. This one just keeps on going."

Dianne leaves the toy at home when she goes to school at St Luke and St Philip's CE School, Blackburn, with strict instructions for her mum to look after it.

But once she returns home, she looks after it until bedtime.

The toy is designed to start life as a baby and grow into a child as it is cared for. But it could soon be collecting its pension, as one day of the toy's "life" is supposedly equivalent to two years.

Paula said: "I heard a while ago that the record for keeping one of these alive was something like 30 'years' and Dianne would love to know if she has broken whatever the record is now."

Do you know of an older cyberpet? Contact the Lancashire Evening Telegraph Newsdesk on 01254 678678.

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