One of the oldest women in the UK believes the secret to a long life is avoiding MEN.

Celebrating her 109th birthday, Jessie Gallan, who is the oldest woman in Scotland, stunned care workers when they asked for tips on how to live to a ripe old age.

She puts her old age down to avoiding men and also a daily helping of porridge each morning.

Gallan was born on a farm in Kintore, Scotland in 1906 to a family with five sisters and one brother. She slept top-to-tail with her five sisters and one brother on a straw-filled mattress before leaving home at 13 to become a milkmaid. She was then a farm kitchen helper before working at a hotel which was visited by the Queen and Queen Mother while she was there.

Eventually, Gallan moved into the Crosby House, a residential care home for seniors. Gillian Bennett, one of her support workers at the time told STV: “Jessie is a lovely woman. She has got her best friend here, Sarah Jane, and they are always together. She likes her music and likes her exercise class and is a very independent person. She is always walking about.”