A GRANDFATHER and his family believe they have the country's oldest Easter egg.
Eric Boden was given the egg on his first birthday and staggeringly, 92 years later, the unopened chocolate egg has survived intact.
The family are also wondering about what to do with the egg in the future, and whether it could one day go on display to the public.
Eric's son, Stephen Boden, said: "The egg was given to him on his first birthday by his uncle Harvey, who was a serving officer in the First World World.
"Eric's mum maybe took it away from him, thinking he could have it when he's older.
"It was stored away and, for some reason, he never got round to eating it.
"I'm not sure where Eric's mum and dad put it in the early days - I think it was forgotten about.
"It became a bit of a joke later on. It was kept in a cool, dark place and that's where it stayed."
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The Easter egg is wrapped with a red bow in the original box, being kept by Eric at his home in Evesham.
"A few years ago Nestle said they would not advise anybody to eat it now," Stephen said.
The family are now pondering what to do with it in the future.
"I'd like to think it could go somewhere, be treasured and looked after," Stephen said.
"We'd hate for it to get broken.
"I got in touch with Nestle, they didn't seem interested. I don't know if a chocolate museum could take it on.
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"Rather than having it in a cupboard, it would be nice for it to go on display somewhere."
Stephen said he once contacted the Guinness Book of Records to confirm it is the oldest but was told they didn't keep a record only having one for the largest Easter egg.
"I've done some research, and seen Easter eggs online claiming to be the oldest - but they are only around 70 years old," he said.
"Obviously this is 92."
The egg has appeared in the paper before, appearing in 1976 when Eric's mother Florence was pictured with it.
And in 1996 Eric was pictured with the egg in the Worcester Evening News.
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