A celebration with an Irish theme was in store for a West Bay care home resident who celebrated her 103rd birthday on St Patrick's Day.

Pat Blackmore, a resident of Harbour House care home in West Bay since 2010, celebrated reaching the grand old age on Friday, March 17.

She marked the occasion with a small Guinness and an afternoon cream tea.

Sarah Harbour, Administrator at Harbour House, said: "As we are in Lockdown (again) we cannot have all her family in here to see her so we have had to compromise.

"Her family came and held a banner outside her window so that she could see them.

"They were allowed to come in one by one afterwards and she got to see both of her two sons.

"She celebrated with an Afternoon Cream Tea and a Small Guinness as she shares her birthday with Saint Patrick.

"She had candles on one of the scones and everyone sang happy birthday to her."

Mrs Blackmore was born in Stepney in East London in 1920, one of five children.

In 1938 she met her husband Frank when he was directing traffic as a member of the police force and she was crossing the road. The pair married in 1940.

Mrs Blackmore lived in Stepney throughout the Blitz and endured the flying bombs, known as "doodlebugs". 

In 1941 the couple's house was bombed out and they were evacuated.

After the war, she raised two sons, Peter and Colin in Stratford, East London.

She went on to have five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In 1960, when Frank retired, the family moved to Burton Bradstock and for many years ran the beach hut and car park together with Mrs Blackmore's sister Mary and her brother-in-law Ted.

Mrs Blackmore, a resident of Burton Bradstock for 50 years, moved into Harbour House in 2010 following the death of her husband Frank.

After receiving a letter from the late Queen Elizabeth II following her 100th birthday, Mrs Blackmore is the oldest resident at Harbour House and one of four residents over 100 years old.