From political prisoner to national treasure, Ricky Tomlinson turns 86

As Ricky Tomlinson celebrates his 86th birthday today, he looks back on his long and eventful career with the ECHO's Ryan Paton

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Left, Ricky with Royle Family co-stars Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash, Ralf Little and Sue Johnston Above, Ricky is still a fervent supporter of the trade union movement

ICKY Tomlinson takes his role as a Freeman of Liverpool seriously.

The Brookside and Royle Family star was granted the honour in 2014 and feels it’s his duty to do all he can to promote his home city that has given him so much.

He told the ECHO in an exclusive interview: “I absolutely love Liverpool and I love the job that I do.

“Liverpool has been very good to me because a lot of people forget that I was a political prisoner for two years. When I came back, I was living in a little village in Wales.

“There was no work there, so I had to come back to Liverpool. I learned my trade on the clubs and the pubs, got an Equity [membership] and that’s when I broke into film and met some incredible people. It’s been an amazing journey’

Ricky will forever be grateful for the way the city never turned its back on him during his hour of need - and this is why he will show his support in any way he can, including at events such as the reopening of the Epstein Theatre, where we spoke last week.

The legendary _Liverpudlian’s huge laugh and larger than life personality still fills up any room that he’s in - and it's extraordinary to believe he is turning the grand old age of 86 today

On the secret to his continued energy and why he will always make sure to show his face at community events, he joked: “I’ve got no option.

“My wife says, ‘You're going and that’s it”

He added: “I love the business. It takes me back to my childhood. I was a crackpot. I used to march up and down the gutter with a frying pan, and a spoon, singing. We'd only be about seven or eight and I'd have all the kids singing. It’s obviously been in me from when I was a kid”