IT’S OFFICIAL: Alton’s Bob Weighton is the world’s oldest living man, as ratified by Guinness World Records.

The announcement was timed to coincide with Bob’s 112th birthday on Sunday, March 29 – but amid the current rules around social distancing, a Guinness adjudicator was unable to meet Bob in person as they normally would.

Instead, the assisted living home where Bob lives arranged for ‘happy birthday’ to be sung to him on his balcony and presented him with his certificate, all from a safe distance to celebrate this remarkable milestone.

The evidence was scrutinised by Guinness World Records Senior Gerontology Consultant Robert Young.

Bob received the record title after Chitetsu Watanabe, from Japan, died on February 23, 2020, aged 112 years and 355 days.

Bob was born on March 29, 1908, in Kingston-Upon-Hull, Yorkshire and was one of seven children.

Growing up, to ensure Bob could stay in school until he was 16, his father paid an extra £3 a term. From here he began a marine engineering apprenticeship.

Bob later moved to Taiwan where he spent two years learning Mandarin and began teaching at a missionary school.

In 1937 Bob married his wife Agnes who was also a teacher. The couple had previously met during their studies in England.

Their first child was born in Taiwan before they decided to return to the United Kingdom in 1939.

However, as the Second World War broke out, the family were diverted to Toronto, Canada.

While residing in Canada, Bob and Agnes had two more children and were eventually able to return home to the UK once the war had ended in 1945.

Once settling back into the UK, Bob took up a teaching position at City University, London.

Bob has 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren and in March 2018, he celebrated becoming a super-centenarian.

“I can’t say I am pleased to hear that the previous holder has died but I am very pleased that I’ve been able to live so long and make so many friends,” he said on inheriting the record.

Kane Tanaka is currently the oldest person living (female) and celebrated her 117th birthday in January.

The oldest person ever (male) is Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, born on April 19, 1897 and passed away aged 116 years and 54 days on 12 June, 2013, making Bob four years and 51 days shy of this record.