A man who is said to be Britain’s oldest practising criminal barrister claims he has no intention of leaving the profession for a more relaxing lifestyle just yet.

Noel Philo, who recently celebrated his 90^th birthday on Christmas Day, was called to the Bar in 1975. 50 years later, he is still active in the profession, working at Lincoln Crown Court.

Although his caseload has reduced in more recent years, his colleagues at KCH Garden Square, based in Nottingham, said that he continues to make himself available every day.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Philo said, “I do feel that through my work, I can do some good and help people..as long as I am wanted and as long I’m fit, I’ll keep going. How long that will be, I don’t know.”

Born in 1934, Mr Philo was educated at the University of Oxford. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1966. He mentioned how much he loved his work and his time at the court, which was a wonderful place to work and somewhere that he had made many friends.

The experienced barrister has lived through a number of revolutionary changes at the Bar, most recently the introduction of video technology, which allowed him to continue his work whilst isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I can be in three courts in one day, [all of which are] quite far from each other, by video, so that’s an excellent thing,” he told the BBC.

Mr Philo is not alone on his mission to continue with his legal career, as his wife, Liz, is a qualified solicitor and also still sits as a deputy district judge.

Work “keeps the old brain going”, Mr Philo added.

“It’s a case of use it or lose it.“Obviously, if I got to the stage where I was no longer any use, I wouldn’t get any briefs, and I would have to retire,” Mr Philo reiterated.

“My senior clerk says that he thinks I’ll still be going when the rest of them have retired, but I’m not so sure about that.”