A WORKER at former town engineering firm United Engineering Forgings (UEF), who is fighting to get back his pension rights, is due to tell his story on the BBC this week.

The Money Programme, on BBC2, is due to look at people who are forced to work past retirement age.

Mike Harrison, who worked as an engineer at the Aston Fields firm, better known as Garringtons, for 43 years, has now taken up a job packing and delivering fish for Mermaid Fish Imports, an aquarium pet shop in the Strand.

He claims he needs the extra cash to pay the mortgage and support his wife and teenage son through college after the collapse of the pension scheme when the firm folded last March.

The angry resident of Aintree Road, Catshill, said: "Unless we are successful in getting the pension scheme reinstated, I will be working until I am 70.

"I was going to pay my mortgage off but, obviously, I can't now.

"My pension has been valued at only £1,500. It is terrible and, although I love my job, I have no other choice.

"But we now have a top barrister to take the case on board."

Mr Harrison is angry by the UK's insolvency laws and has been pro-active in the campaigns by ex-UEF workers to get their pensions back.

The Branch secretary for the Amicus Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU), Ben Perry sympathised with Mr Harrison's situation.

He said: "About 80 per cent of us are having to take low paid jobs because we can't yet claim our state pension."

The programme is due to be shown tonight (Wednesday), at 7.30pm.