ONE of Sainsbury's longest-serving employees is celebrating 20 years with the company.

Katie Williams is celebrating with her parents Julie and David Williams, after achieving 20 years employment at the Badger Farm superstore.

She was presented with a badge commemorating the milestone. Katie, 36, who has autism, lives at home with her mum and dad.

Katie said: “I love my job very much, and like chatting with the customers. The staff and managers are very kind to me, especially Lou, Mel and Brian. I have a lovely new boss called Stuart too.”

Her mother, Julie, said that her and David were “incredibly proud” of their daughter, and thanked Sainsbury’s and the "great” staff at both the Middle Brook Street branch and Badger Farm for the support and kindness they had shown throughout the past two decades.

Julie said: “We are so proud of Katie being able to have work and do her own job. She’s well-liked by the community around the store and she’s so happy to have reached 20 years.”

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She said Katie always liked the supermarket since a young age.

Julie said: “She had always been a big fan of the TV show Supermarket Sweep growing up, and regularly used to fill up my trolley on our weekly visits to Badger Farm. The things I used to find in there!”

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Being quite a little character, the staff at Sainsbury’s quickly got to know Katie, and in March 1996 they decided to buy and customise a shopping trolley for her, which she was presented with by the then store manager and beauty assistant. Julie said she was touched by the gesture and Katie was “delighted” with the gift.

When Katie, who has a twin sister, turned 16, there was only one place she wanted to work - Sainsbury’s.

“Originally I used to go with Katie to work; she used to do an hour a week in the Middle Brook Street branch”, said Julie. “She was so happy to be there and she did so well, that eventually her hours started increasing, and we found that I didn’t need to stay there with her throughout the day. It did her independence so much good, commuting to and from work on the bus, or cycling with David.”

Eventually, Katie to be transferred to Badger Farm, where she has worked ever since. “We just want to say thank you to Sainsbury’s, they’ve treated Katie brilliantly over the years. It’s a credit to her - She’s well liked and well known, and her family couldn’t be prouder of her."

Stuart Purdy, manager of Sainsbury’s Badger Farm, said: “It only seems like yesterday that I can remember Katie completing the supermarket sweep around the store as a young girl, who would have known then she would go on to complete 20 years service at Badger Farm Sainsburys! Well done Katie, keep up the great work."