A 108-year-old great-grandmother has shared her top tips to help us get through the coronavirus pandemic.

Winifred Burgoyne was born in 1911, meaning she’s lived through countless major historic events including two World Wars and the Spanish flu in 1918.

The great-grandmother of two spent most of her working life as a weaver mill factory in Hulme, Manchester, – and during World War II was tasked with sewing gun belts for soldiers.

Now, she’s drawing on her life experience to offer some helpful tips during the current outbreak.

Gran-of-two Winifred, who lives in a care home in Bolton, Greater Manchester, said: “You’ve got to keep back of other people’s way and work on your own – you need to look after yourself.

“Most of all you need to look after babies because the first thing people do is smother them with kisses and that’s how a virus can spread.

“I have been alright at the moment but I’m terrified if people come near me so I would tell them not to touch me.

“We don’t know what is going to happen next, so you have to care for yourself – and use disinfectant everywhere you go!”

Winifred met her husband Ronald at a dance and the pair got hitched all the way back in 1946, they had one child – a daughter called Linda in 1948. Winifred and Ronald had a long, happy marriage before Ronald passed away in 2000.

Retired retail worker and mum-of-two Linda, 71, said: “My mum is a fighter – she’s witty, sharp and will put someone in their place and stand up for herself even though she’s only 4ft tall.

“Her nickname was ‘6ft’ because even though she wasn’t that tall she was as strong as a 6ft man!

“Mum worked at the factory for most of her life before she became pregnant with me and started working from home until I was 10.

“She lost her husband, my dad Ronald, in 2000, which was a great upset for her, and moved to the care home in 2015.

“She always says the key to living long is ‘by being a good girl and clean living – and don’t ever bother with men!’

“We’ve been keeping in touch with her on the phone and we’re all very proud of her.”

Winifred is the 42nd oldest person in the UK and has received eight letters from the Queen on her birthdays.

Her care home is currently on lockdown, so Linda keeps in touch over the phone and Winifred keeps herself busy doing armchair exercises or listening to music.

Julie O’Connor, 54, who works at Wini’s care home, said: “She’s an absolutely amazing person and is very chilled out.

“When we do activities like armchair exercise with the residents she loves the music we put on and waves the coloured scarves we give them.

“She’s aware a nasty bug is going around and says to us ‘oh I’ve done with that!'”