JOHN Nuttall has proved to be a real joker in the pack.

The witty schoolboy thought a job coming up with jokes for Christmas crackers would be right up his street.

So when Asda at Middlebrook put out an appeal for someone who wanted to work part-time thinking up new festive laugh lines for their crackers, 11-year-old John answered the call. He sent the store more than 40 jokes.

Bosses at Asda were tickled pink, but they just had to tell John, of Captain Lees Gardens, Westhoughton, that he was sadly too young to be employed by the store.

Despite that, staff at the supermarket decided John deserved a pat on the back and recognition for his efforts.

So they gave him VIP treatment -- inviting him to present charity cheques at the store. And they also gave him a goody bag that included football stickers and a radio.

John, the class comedian at St Thomas's CE Primary School, Chequerbent, spends hours thinking of his own jokes, taking inspiration from all-time favourites Ken Dodd and John Cleese and local favourite Peter Kay. He loves watching TV comedies Drop the Dead Donkey and Monty Python. As well as laughing most of his leisure time away, the youngster also finds time for a game of football or tennis. He is a keen Bolton Wanderers fan.

He says his material is easy to write: "I just come up with them," he said.

"I think of something, then think of something else and it just comes together.

"I have got quite a few joke books at home which are really funny and so I decided to write my own."

John's mother, Cynthia, said: "He spotted the article about Asda asking for new Christmas cracker jokes in the Bolton Evening News. I said he should send some of his jokes as he is always making them up.

"He was a bit disappointed when he didn't win the position, but I am very proud of him."