CHRISTMAS and birthdays prove expensive for Taunton great great grandmother Audrey Hepple.

That's because she is the matriarch of a family of five generations of female members who all live in the county town.

Audrey, a widow who used to work in a factory in the town, has a total of 17 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

Aged 85, she still goes into town with her daughter Julie Kingston every Tuesday for a spot of shopping and is still "quite able", according to great granddaughter Shannon James.

Julie, 68, who was also a retired factory worker, remains fit for her age.

Her daughter Lisa Kingston, 47, works at the O'Bridge Brewers Fayre pub/restaurant.

Shannon, 25, is currently on maternity leave from her job as a support worker for adults with autism.

The youngest 'lady' in the clan, is three-year-old Olivia Bradley, who enjoys attending nursery. She has a six-month-old brother, Bradley.

Shannon said: "Audrey is definitely really proud to be a great great grandmother and we're all proud of her.

"It's extremely rare to have five generations of the same family all living in the same town.

"We usd to go round to Audrey's house every Christmas and play bingo.

"Now everybody has got their own families and the family has expanded so much we can't all get into her house any more."