HOUNSLOW'S oldest resident is closing in on the record books after celebrating her 107th birthday last week.

Rose Bicknell (pictured), who still lives in her own home in Hinton Avenue, enjoyed a surprise party at Heston Day Support Service, in Vicarage Farm Road, Heston, on Tuesday.

But the seamstress, who still makes alterations to her own clothes, still has some way to go to match Britain's oldest resident, Eunice Bowman, of Gateshead, who is just one month short of her 112th birthday.

But she is fast closing in on membership of the exclusive 'supercentenarian club' for people aged 110 or above, of whom there are just 10 living members in the UK.

Among them is Ellen Watson, who lives just down the road in Staines, and is the UK's eighth oldest person at 110 years and six months.

Although an injury to her hand means Rose has had to give up all but 'essential' sewing, she looked as good as ever as she celebrated her big day with live music and a party buffet among friends at the day centre.

"I don't know how I'm going to carry this lot home," she joked, adding that the last year had gone 'very quickly'.

Queen Victoria was still on the throne when Rose was born on July 13, 1893.

The birthday girl met her late husband, Frederick, at Drayton Paperworks in Fulham, aged 20, and has lived in the same house near Hounslow Barracks for more than 80 years.