BOB and Gill Haley danced their way to their 50th wedding anniversary.

The couple, who are members of line dancing clubs in Witney, Hailey and Hanborough, marked their anniversary with their two sons and three grand-daughters.

Mr and Mrs Haley, who both went to Witney Grammar School, married at St Kenelm’s Church, in Minster Lovell, on June 11, 1960.

They met when working at Smiths Industries and their first date was to see Bill Haley and the Comets play at Cheltenham Town Hall.

For two years they lived with Mrs Haley’s mother in Minster Lovell until they moved to the Smiths Estate. Shortly afterwards, their sons Paul, 48, and then Patrick, 46, were born.

Mrs Haley, neé Saunders, of Moorland Road, Witney, said: “We decided to have the children early on, so that we would have a life after.”

Mr Haley, 71, later worked for West Oxfordshire District Council as an investigations officer and was a retained firefighter in Witney for 23 years.

Mrs Haley, 68, worked at the Swan Laundry, in Corn Street and then at the Witney Furnishing Centre.

She first became interested in line dancing 13 years ago, when she was introduced to it by her eldest son and his wife.

She said: “I started first and then Bob got fed up being at home on his own, decided to try it and found that he liked it as well.”

Mrs Haley said: “I think when you got married in our time, you got married to stay together. Nowadays people don’t seem to stay together very long.”

Mr Haley joked: “The secret to our long marriage is doing what I’m told.”