COME rain, shine, hail or illness Ali Sagir is in work.

The hard working restaurant manager has never taken a day off sick in almost 11 years.

Even when he feels unwell he pulls himself from his sick bed and goes to work because he loves his job at the Olympus Fish and Chip Restaurant in Bolton town centre so much.

And he is a well-known and friendly face to the thousands of diners at the popular Newport Street eaterie.

Six days a week, Ali greets many customers by name, shows them to their seats and keeps up the high service standards put in place by owner Tassos Patichis.

Born in Marmaris, Turkey, Ali has been working full-time since he was 11, when he had to leave school after his father died to earn money to keep the family in food.

While still a teenager, he ended up managing a coffee shop, organising the rest of the adult staff.

The 39-year-old came to England and within three days of arriving in Bolton he found a job working as a waiter at the Olympus restaurant.

Since then he has worked his socks off and has not missed a day through sickness in 11 years.

Mr Sagir said: “Since the manager left and I was made manager, I now work six days a week and I have never had a day off all the time I have worked at the Olympus.

“Even when I am ill I always come in because I love my work. If I’m ill I come in because I feel worse if I stay at home.

Luckily, I am nice and healthy.”

And on Sundays — his day off — he goes to the gym and has trained for the last three years at a Thai Boxing group “just for self-defence”.

Six years ago he was made manager of the restaurant, responsible for all the waiting staff under owner Tassos Patichis.

Tassos, who recently spent more than £300,000 on refurbishing the restaurant, thinks highly of his hard working, ever-present manager.

He said: “I wish I had two of him because he is such a hard working, committed employee, who is very loyal and knows the business inside out.

“Having Ali here means I can go to trade shows and look at making the Olympus Fish and Chip Restaurant a tourist destination.

“Ali is an asset and a very reliable one since he has not had a day off in almost 11 years, which is phenomenal.

“What’s very important to me is that when I’m not here I don’t worry about the business because I know Ali will look after it like it’s his own.”

● Can you beat Ali’s record? Call the Business Desk on 01204-537352.