A milkman with a lotta bottle has been named among the top five in the country, thanks to recommendations from his loyal customers.

Andrew Thorpe, 39, was among the finalists who went to the head offices of dairy industry body Dairy UK in London last week, for the Milkman of the Year contest.

Andrew has been doing his rounds in Ilkley for the past 15 years. Today, he has around 1,700 customers in the town, and his business, A & R Thorpe, delivers 18,000 bottles of milk a week.

He employs three full-time staff, who also gained nominations for the competition from satisfied customers in the area.

But only Andrew, who lives in Earby, Lancashire, got to proudly wear his Milkman of the Year Finalist t-shirt, following several rounds of interviews by industry representatives.

He was asked about how he runs the businesses, and the good service he provides to customers. His business operates four rounds in Ilkley a day.

His milk is supplied by a dairy in Grassington, North Yorkshire.