UK's oldest emigrant sails to NZ

Eric King-Turner said he lives "from day to day"

The UK's oldest emigrant has set sail for his new life in New Zealand - at the age of 102.

Eric King-Turner has left Hampshire to emigrate to the country with his wife of 12 years, Doris.

The couple waved goodbye to the UK as they embarked on a sea journey from Southampton to their new home.

Mr King-Turner said he felt it might be "rather fun to move to New Zealand", adding that his wife, who is from the country, was getting homesick.

The couple, who shared the same surname prior to their marriage, met when the New Zealand King-Turner family visited the UK to research their origins.

I can't seriously look past tomorrow morning because at my age people go to bed at night and they don't wake up in the morning. I'm resigned to that Eric King-Turner

Mr King-Turner, who served on HMS Invincible during World War I, admitted he had not seen everything in the UK that he would have liked, but had seen much of Europe.

Mr King-Turner said the move had been planned months ahead, although he added: "I have to live from day to day.

"I can't seriously look past tomorrow morning because at my age people go to bed at night and they don't wake up in the morning. I'm resigned to that."

Meanwhile, his wife said she and her husband - who have lived in Hampshire since their marriage - believed they would settle down quickly.

"He's very easy to get on with and he settles down very quickly, so I think he'll quite enjoy it out there," Mrs King-Turner said.