20-A-DAY MARY HITS THE CENTURY

Doctors say 100-year-old has clear lungs and sound heart

- ALISTAIR WHITFIELD

A GRAN has reached her 100th birthday despite smoking 20 cigarettes a day for most of her life - as doctors hail her "clear lungs and heart sound as a bell".

Mary "Molly" Repper, who only gave up the habit at the age of 95, was joined at Weston View Care Home, in Moray, by family and friends to celebrate.

Daughter Beatrice and son Jim had travelled to Keith from London on Wednesday with their respective partners for their mum's big day.

"Quick-witted", "tenacious" and "organised" were some of the words they used to describe Molly.

Beatrice said: "Mum was brilliant with numbers.

"At a checkout, she could add up the figures quicker in her head than the cashier on the till - and they'd certainly get to know about it if they'd got the amount wrong."