THERE are more than 200 people in Lancashire who were born before the start of the First World War, the latest figures have revealed.

According to the 2001 Census there were 216 centenarians still alive at the time, as published in a written Commons Answer to Tory MP Nigel Waterson.

And Government statisticians say that with people living longer despite the fact that a number will have passed away, the total has almost certainly increased in the last five years.

The veterans will have been alive at the start of hostilities in the Great War, will remember the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and could have taken part in the 1926 General Strike.

Many will have served in some capacity during World War Two while others may have been too old to actually fight in the forces against Hitler.

According to the statistics in 2001 there were 184 centenarians in the Lancashire County Council area, 12 in Blackburn-with-Darwen, and 20 in Blackpool.

A spokesman from the Office of National Statistic said: "Although the figures relate to 2001, it is true that everyone in Britain's living longer so some of the people who featured in these figures are now no longer alive but there are now likely to be more people living to be over 100."