CHRISTMAS has come early for lucky Neil Swift -- and his mates.

For Neil has scooped a whopping £74,000 bingo jackpot - but instead of keeping it all to himself he is sharing it with his three long-term playing partners!

Neil Swift, 35, from Chorley, who works in the building trade, will share the big bonanza with his partner Dawn Smith and two friends who he first went to bingo with four years ago.

Neil, who won the prize at the Gala Club, Robin Park, Wigan, on Sunday, December 2, beamed: "It makes me almost as happy as winning it to give them some of my fortune.

"We have always shared whatever we have won between us, whether it is £10 or £74,000."

Neil won the National Bingo Game prize of £66,666 plus a regional prize of £7,895 and the club prize of £160.

And he plans to spend some of his share on half the mortgage, a new car and on his wedding to Dawn planned for next year.

He said: "We wanted to put most of the money into bricks and mortar and settling down, but we will still have quite a bit of spending money as well."

Neil, who has a two-year-old son Matthew, first started playing bingo in Chorley six years ago - under protest.

He said: "I wanted to go the pub and Dawn wanted to go to the pictures so we compromised and went to bingo.

"She won a £5,000 regional prize that night and we were hooked."

Neil says that bingo has changed from its image of blue rinsed grannies into a game for all ages, including youngsters getting their 'eyes down' before going clubbing.

He added: "With having a youngster it is my one night out a week. But a few pints, some good food and £74,000 in the pocket - that's not a bad night out!"