Son hires drinking mates for elderly father

Found: drinking companions to join elderly gentleman for a friendly beer at his village pub in Southern England.

Mike Hammond was bombarded with offers after advertising in his village post office for someone to accompany his 88-year-old father Jack on visits to his local pub from a nursing home.

He offered the lucky winner STG7 ($NZ17) an hour plus expenses and, after sifting through the applicants, decided on a job-share.

Drinking duties are to be divided between a retired doctor and a former military man.

"Dad's now going to be going down to the pub several times a week - three with his new friends and twice with me," Mike Hammond said.

"I want to give him some of his old life back."

- Reuters