By Rebecca Gray

THINK of an apprentice and you imagine a fresh-faced school-leaver but ex-serviceman Roy Sivel has just started training as a wood machinist - at 49.

Roy was working as storeman at Erskine Furniture, part of the veterans' charity Erskine, when he saw it was advertising for an apprentice.

The dad, who lives in Houston, Renfrewshire and was previously with the Royal Logistics Corps, is delighted at the prospect of a new job.

He said: "Erskine does a wonderful job for ex-service men and women and it is a chance to further myself .

"I have got at least another 15 years to retirement and hopefully I will be able to give something back to Erskine.

"It proves that age is no barrier."