“I’m still being asked for ID at 50 – it’s the best thing ever”

A mother was over the moon to be asked for ID when she went to buy tobacco – despite being in her 50s. Mother-of-two Abbi Franklin has been battling her age after turning 50 in March.

But things changed when she popped into a Co-op store near her home in Guilford, Surrey, last week. The worker insisted that Abbi show him her ID before he would allow her to pay for the tobacco she wanted.

Abbi – whose daughters are 17 and 23 – had to leave the store to pick up the bag she had left with her youngest. She said: “It was great – my best day ever! I’ve been jumping all week because of it.”

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“I kept saying, ‘You’re kidding.’ And he kept saying “No, I need to see the ID.” It was really lucky – I don’t usually take my ID with me.”

Abbi, who is unable to work due to ill health, said people often say she looks young, but usually older than 35.