THE family of a Bradford couple, who are believed to have the world's longest marriage, threw a party yesterday to celebrate their birthdays.

Karam Chand recently turned 110, and his wife of almost 90 years, Kartari has recently turned 103.

To celebrate the achievement, the couple's family organised a huge surprise party at the Midland Hotel in Bradford, with family flying in from as far as India and Canada to help them celebrate.

The couple were married in a Sikh ceremony in the Punjab in 1925, and came to Bradford in 1965.

They now live in the Girlington area, where the longevity of their marriage has given them a local celebrity status.

Earlier this month, the Chands were chosen as some of the community heroes who helped open The Broadway Shopping Centre, sharing the honour with pop superstar Alexandra Burke.

Karam was born in 1905 and Kartari in 1912, and for the past few years the pair have been guests of honour at the Girlington Parade.

They have also been invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cambridge.

The sharply dressed couple yesterday made a grand entrance to the party, arriving to traditional Indian drumming and to the impressive sight of hundreds of family members and friends clapping and cheering them.

As well as the couple's large family, including dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren, and many friends, the party was attended by Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds.

Addressing the crowd, Cllr Dodds said: "I'm delighted to be here at this very, very special birthday celebration. To get to 110 and 103-years-old is absolutely fantastic. I wish them very happy birthdays, they are a wonderful couple."

The couple's son Paul said: "This is unbelievable. It is a surprise party and it has been great for them. They have seen so many people they haven't seen for years.

"It is brilliant for them, I wish everyone had parents who lived to this age. I'm so proud today of my family and all their relatives, especially those that came from India and Canada.

"We have a big party for them every year, but this has been the biggest one so far."