A lucky girl, so you are!

Fiery Jim, alias actor Charlie Lawson, proved he had a heart of gold by handing over a brand new car to Cherrill Thompson.

Mrs Thompson, of Abbotsford Road, Heaton, scooped the bright green VW Polo in a national prize draw organised to raise funds for the ChildLine charity.

The Coronation Street actor, who is currently locked up awaiting his punishment for murder, had a bit of difficulty making his bid for freedom and arrived more than half an hour late for the presentation at Morrisons, off Chorley Old Road.

But the he proved to be nothing like his bad tempered character as he won everyone over with humble apologies.

The actor, who was been supporting ChildLine for six years, was keen to let Mrs Thompson and the charity take centre stage.

He signed autographs as surprised customers thrust till receipts and bus tickets at him, and superstore staff snapped photographs of the soap star.

He said: "It's marvellous to see money being raised like this. After I had listened to what the telephone operators at ChildLine had to deal with, I had no hesitation in supporting them."

But he did reveal that he has now recorded his last scenes in Coronation Street and his character will exit the soap before Christmas, although he would not speculate.

And he said he had enjoyed working again with on screen ex-wife Liz, played by former Bolton actress Bev Callard.

Mrs Thompson, who cannot drive, said: "I'm delighted. I can't believe my luck.

"I just thought I was doing my bit to support ChildLine and never expected I would win anything.

"And I'm and avid fan of Coronation Street.

"I hardly miss an episode so it was brilliant to meet Jim.

"He was such a kind and polite man."

Mrs Thompson bought two £1 tickets in the draw organised by the supermarket chain, which had adopted ChildLine as its charity this year.

So far, more than £325,000 has been raised across the country.

Her delighted husband Robert drove them from the superstore in their new car.