A GRANDFATHER from Basildon is addicted to Lucozade despite having three heart attacks and drinks up to around eight bottles a day - he says it’s harder to give them up than class A drugs.

Retired-painter, Garry Johnson, 65, has had the sugary drink habit for almost 30 years and it costs him around £150 a month. At today’s prices, his three-decade old addiction would have costed him around £43,000.

He had three heart attacks between 2012 and 2014 because of a hereditary heart condition which doctors told him to ditch caffeinated drinks. Despite making cuts to his diet, he still drinks more than three litres of Lucozade a day.

Johnson says it’s harder to give up Lucozade than class A drugs because of the after effects, calling it “that lovely feeling in your mouth after you eat an expensive bit of chocolate.”

He added: "Lucozade is the thing I won’t give up.

"I'm still full of energy at 65 and people say I look 50!"

He goes to Tesco every day and buys around one or two four-packs which depends on how many bottles he already has stacked up in the fridge ready to drink.

He said: "I've always needed some kind of stimulant and eventually I realised Lucozade is perfect for me.

"After my heart attacks they told me to quit the energy drinks, but I recently had new heart tests and my results are better than they've ever been.

Garry doesn't even want to give up the drink as it says it's "part of his identity" like a person's favourite shirt or their daily breakfast.

The grandfather-of-two also said he’s often mistaken for being 15 years younger than he is, which he puts down to drinking Lucozade rather than drinking or smoking.

He said: "I've got a full head of hair and my hair is black as it always was, there's not a grey hair in it.

"Don’t know if that’s to do with the Lucozade or not, but it could be!"