Lookers plc has kicked off 2016 by celebrating the 1,160 years of loyal service of its 27 longest serving staff.

Among the exclusive group recognised at the group’s inaugural long service awards were 14 staff members who had been with Lookers for 40 years, ten employees who had reached the 45-year mark while three had spent the last 50 years with the firm.

The initiative came as part of a wider programme, aimed at increasing engagement among Lookers’ 7,500 employees and includes recognition events, discounts on consumer goods and the improvement of the range of benefits that are available to the company’s staff.

Lookers chief executive Andy Bruce said: “Our people agenda is the top priority at Lookers and it is widely recognised that businesses who have employees with long service deliver better customer service.

“We are benefiting from long standing customer relationships and a wealth of experience, so we want to formally recognise this loyalty with a range of measures designed to say a big thank you to our loyal and dedicated people.”

Among the incentives available to staff as part of Lookers’ new recognition scheme – designed to recognise staff that have been with the group for five years or more – are a range of rewards ranging from gifts, vouchers and additional annual paid leave entitlement through to lunch with the CEO.

By December 2015 a total of 2,322 additional days were awarded and almost £70,000 worth of vouchers shared as part of the new scheme.

The total number of certificates distributed across the workforce was 2,591 in addition to 70 staff members receiving a whole week’s worth of paid annual leave for their commitment to Lookers for over 30 years.