Following the news today that the government of the United Kingdom will shortly be raising the retirement age to 168 years old Bruce Forsyth has announced that he is excited to soon be old enough to draw his pension.

The national treasure and all round entertainer, Louis Spence, who is close the elderly star, told a bemused teller in an Aldi queue this morning.

“Brushie is a hundred and shixty sheven thish year. He’sh been poorly yately but he hopsh to make it to next year sho he can claim shtate penshion.”

Forsyth, who hasn’t been seen on our screens for the last couple of years, due to ill health and on account of being composed 90% from dust, has been in the entertainment industry since the 1840s, when his early act involved shadow puppetry and falling over.

The elderly entertainer certainly isn’t short of a few bob, but is reportedly very excited about the prospect of free bus travel. Close friend and confidante, Gary Fryer, said;

“Brucie is a great guy and this isn’t about the money. He just wants recognition for all his hard work over the years. He’ll probably give it all to charity in all fairness, but every time he goes to draw it, the government raise the age.”

David Gauke, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said of the move to raise the pension age up by a year seven years early “It’s completely fair and reasonable to expect people to die of old age at work. It’ll save a fortune in pensions payments, let alone the winter fuel allowance, do we still have that?”