The famous Howell triplets might have a rival for the title of Britain's oldest surviving threesome.

Betty, Tony, and Fred Howell met in Bradford to celebrate their 70th birthday.

The trio were born in London after their mother Gladys Moore moved to St Pancras from Haworth and were thought to be the oldest surviving triplets in Britain.

Fred's son Graham Howell, who hosted the party at his Cullingworth home, even pledged to write to the Guinness Book of Records to have their achievement recognised.

But no sooner had the story appeared in the Telegraph & Argus then relatives of 72-year-old triplets Alice Holmes, Gladys Caress and Doris Kingston got in touch.

According to Margaret Dubber, who is the youngest sister of the triplets, the women were born in South Yorkshire in 1927.

Mrs Dubber, 67, of Kingsley Crescent, Birkenshaw, Bradford, said the three of them will celebrate their 73rd birthdays in June this year.

"There were nine children in our family," she said. "The oldest is my brother Arnold followed by eight sisters including the triplets.

"I'm the youngest in the family followed by our Joan and our Avis and then the twins. My older sister Nelly is still alive but May has passed away.

"Since we saw the story my son Robert has sent an e-mail to Guinness to tell them about the triplets. We've never thought of having it officially confirmed before.

"The Howell's are probably the oldest triplets in Bradford but I think my sisters definitely have the edge on them in Britain!"

One of the triplets' sons, Colin Holmes, also lives in Bradford, in Hopefield Way, Odsal.

He said: "My mother Alice and Gladys live in Leeds and Doris has her home in Selby so they're not strictly Bradford. But when we saw the piece we thought, 'Hang on, we know some triplets who are older.'"

Guinness Book of Records spokesman Neil Hayes said there was a category for the oldest twins, who were 105-year-olds Dale and Glen Moyer, from America, but nothing for triplets.

He said: "What we need is a copy of their birth certificates and evidence that they are still alive, such as a signed photograph or copies of their pension books.

"Then we can research the background and set up the category. We often find that when you set up these categories more people start to come forward."

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