A tiny spud that has been passed down through family members for 60 years has been declared as the world’s oldest ever potato.

Deborah Skipper’s gran – Alice Hancock – initially kept the potato as a good luck charm, and then passed it down to her son, Alan.

In 2004, Alan gave the tater to his daughter Deborah, 58, who has kept it ever since.

The family heirloom, which is now around the size of a penny, has survived for six decades.

Although initially quite a small potato, time has taken its toll, leading to it shrinking down to its current state.

Deborah said that she had known of the aging potato’s existence even at childhood, as her gran used to carry it around with her everywhere she went, first in her apron and later in her purse sat alongside a horseshoe charm.

She explained: “Nan kept it as it was part of a very good crop in the vegetable garden that year.

“She was very superstitious and saw it as a good luck charm for the future.”

She added that she would look after the treasured petite vegetable as her gran once did, until it was time to hand down the family heirloom and lucky charm to her daughter, Gemma.