A Devon goldfish believed to be the world's oldest in captivity is still swimming strongly - 44 years after it was won at a fairground.

Goldie's owners believe their fish has passed the official record set by Tish, which died in North Yorkshire in 1999 aged 43.

But they are refusing to subject their pet, who lives in an 18 by 10-inch tank in Bradninch, Devon, to tests to prove its longevity.

Pauline Evans, 70, said:'We have no proof when he was bought, all we know it was around 1960.

'There were three fish originally, but only Goldie has survived.There are no diary entries or anything like that.'

'We do not know how to claim he is the world's oldest. We understand you can take some scales and have them tested, but we are not going to do that.

'He is still there, but he has lost a lot of colour, and is silver more than gold. But he is still swimming quite well.'

Mrs Evans and her husband Tom, also 70, inherited five-inch long Goldie five years ago.

They began looking after him following the death of Mrs Evans's father, who got the fish in 1960.

The Guinness Book of Records has said they would need proof of Goldie's age before any record claim could be made.

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