A grandfather is addicted to Lucozade despite having three heart attacks - and said it's harder to give up than class A drugs.

Garry Johnson, 65, began drinking coffee aged 12 and loved the caffeine buzz.

The now-retired painter and decorator took cocaine and amphetamines in his teens, and after 15 years of on-off drug use went 'cold turkey' when his son Sam was born in 1992.

Keen to stay energised, he took up drinking 380ml bottle bottles of Lucozade Original - and now necks eight a day.

He's had the habit for 29 YEARS and it currently costs him around £150 a month.

And at today's prices, his nearly three decade habit would have cost him more than £42,800.

He had three heart attacks between 2012 and 2014 because of a hereditary heart condition, and doctors encouraged him to ditch caffeinated drinks.

He gave up dairy and every other form of caffeine - but he still necks more than three litres of Lucozade a day.

He said Lucozade is proving harder to give up than class A drugs - because of the "after effect - like that lovely feeling in your mouth after you eat an expensive bit of chocolate."

Garry, from Basildon, Essex, said: "I took cocaine every day but it was a piece of cake to give up - but I'd find it really hard to ever give up Lucozade.

"I love it - not just the taste but the affect on my body makes me feel great.

"If I do go two or three hours without one, I fancy one - God knows how I'd be after two days.

"Lucozade is the thing I wont give up.

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

Single dad-of-three Garry was "obsessed" with David Bowie, who was known for his class-A habits and started taking speed and cocaine aged 15.

He said: "When I watched him play Starman as Ziggy Stardust on Top Of The Pops, my life changed overnight.

"I like to be up all the time, so I always liked stimulants, like David Bowie.

"After starting on speed, I would take cocaine six or seven nights a week, every week.

"It just gave me a buzz before I went out - I even took cocaine on my wedding day."

Garry stopped aged 30, when his son Sam, now 31, was born and went cold turkey because being a new dad was "stimulant enough".

He started drinking Red Bull but found himself with migraines - and eventually moved onto Lucozade.

He initially drank six a day, but has had eight a day for the last seven years.

Now he goes to Tesco every day and buys one or two four-packs - depending how many bottles he already has stacked up in the fridge ready to drink.