A 47-year-old housewife from St Helens has scooped more than £105,000 playing bingo at the town's Mecca Club - the third National Game winner at the Kirkland Street venue in in less than 10 weeks!

Mecca manager Chris Wrigley said: "A few days before the last win I told everyone in the club to really concentrate and we'd have a third winner, as all good things come in threes - and on Wednesday it happened!

"Once again we were having a special promotion evening with every 100th customer getting a bouquet. And once again I had one left over, which I then gave to the lady after she won the national."

The latest winner, who has asked not to be named, won the National Bingo Game prize of £100,000 plus the regional prize of £5,205.89 and the house prize of £141, having completed a full house in 40 numbers - the fewest in the country.

Having joined the club when it opened in February, 1995 she plays there with her daughter.

This latest big win follows those of a 58-year-old grandmother who scooped £51,875 in a shared success in June, and a 45-year-old taxi driver who picked up £55,832 when his numbers came up on August 4.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.