SIX days a week, come rain or shine, three generations of dedicated Evening News deliverymen from the same family never missed their daily round in the city.

Until Saturday, when the youngest, Lyndon Maisey, had a dizzy spell and called in sick for the first time in more than 30 years, leaving readers in The Arboretum, Rainbow Hill and Barbourne literally lost for words.

Luckily, another Evening News employee stepped in to take over the bulk of the task - but found it took her twice as long having to explain to customers why their ever-faithful "paperboy", who still sells editions as he cycles along, had failed to show.

"We didn't even know exactly where Lyndon delivers, he's been doing it so long," said field agent co-ordinator Pauline Hinton, who volunteered her services.

"As I went round, people were coming out of their houses and trying to give me money because they thought he must be really sick to take time off.

"He's definitely amazing Maisey."

Lyndon, aged 41, of Gresham Road, Dines Green, said: "My late father, grandfather and myself had never taken a day off and I guess lots of people know of us,"

It's just something our family has always done."

"It was nice to put my feet up for a few days but, to be honest, I'm glad to be back as I missed the people."

Inheriting the family's black Hercules bike, complete with wooden newspaper box, Mr Maisey began his paper round as a nine-year-old schoolboy, following in the footsteps of his father Ernie Junior, who did the round for 52 years, and his grandfather, Ernie Senior, who notched up a princely 66 years in the job.

Evening News Sports Editor Paul Ricketts, whose grandmother lived in Chestnut Street in The Arboretum, remembers Ernie Junior for his booming "final" and "late final" as he rode up the street, complete with flatcap and bicycle clips.

"You could hear him coming way before he got to you," he said.

"He was more like a street vendor and everyone who lived in the area knew of him."