Suffolk record breaker Dean Gould marked a special birthday milestone with a prestigious honour to mark 40 years of extraordinary feats.

Around 100 relatives, friends and special guests attended ‘Dexterous’ Dean’s 60th birthday party held at the clubhouse home of Felixstowe and Walton United.

Dean – who holds more than 60 world records – was also celebrating 40 years of record-breaking and was presented with a framed special achievement award from the US president of the Record Holders Republic, Dr David Adamovich, to mark his four decades.

Felixstowe councillor and last year’s town mayor Seamus Bennett presented the award on behalf of the RHR.

Dean also presented two special awards of his own – to councillor Michael Sharman and Tony Lazell, of St John Ambulance, to thank them for adjudicating many of his records.

Dean said: “I can’t believe it’s been 40 years of record breaking as it’s gone quick.

“I hold so many memories of all these records, television appearances and all the celebrities and people I have met on the way.”

The evening at the club in Dellwood Avenue, Felixstowe, also featured entertainment from musician Jude Kaine (Andy Pearson) and a guest song by Pete 7 from Felixstowe Radio, who sang a Beatles song with new lyrics about Dean’s life.

Also on the night, Dean attempted to blow all 100 candles out on his birthday cake in the quickest time.

Dean, who is married to Natalie and has three grown-up children and also grandchildren, began record breaking in 1984 with his earliest records focussing on coin snatching and beer mat flipping. Later he expanded his skills to include feats of memory, food eating records and quirky stunts such as stamp-licking, pancake-flipping, shortest game of drafts and egg-holding using the back of his hands.