A PENYFFORDD butcher has retired after half a century in the trade.

Steve Vaughan was 13 when he became a butcher's boy in Caergwrle, now, 50 years later, the well-known Penyffordd butcher and his wife - Helen - are calling it a day.

In those 50 years, Steve has met many famous faces, including Prince Charles, athlete Linford Christie, BBC broadcaster Sian Lloyd, snooker star Willie Throne and John Savident, who played the butcher Fred Elliott on Coronation Street.

However, he said: "Customers are still the highlight of my career."

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Steve and Helen Vaughan

Steve has celebrated an award-winning career as he was crowned in 2013 as Britain's 'Champion of Champions' sausage maker - which he explained is the industry's Oscars.

He has since passed his skills on to current apprentice, Tilley Penny, who has already won the titles of Young Sausage Maker and Supreme Sausage Maker.

Partners Pam and Graham Jones, from Llay, have been regulars at Vaughan's Butchers for 14 years and they have wished the pair all the best for the future.

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The photo gallery at Vaughan's Butchers, Penyffordd, created by Steve Vaughan's wife Helen to mark their retirement

Graham added: "They have been great to us."

Steve's former apprentice, Matthew Edwards from Wrexham, also won numerous prizes available to young butchers in Britain including Welsh Young Butcher of the Year and the first WorldSkills UK Butchery Champion title.

The retired butcher said now he knows he has played a part in keeping the industry in safe hands, he can retire a happy man to enjoy travelling with Helen, play more golf and 'get a new knee'.

The shop is also going to carry on in the hands of Jamie Baker and Mark Roberts, but will take over a new name - Baker and Roberts Craft Butchers.