YOU could say he was "wheely" funny -- and that wouldn't be talking rubbish.

Billy McGuinness is funny, very, very funny -- so funny in fact, he's been invited to the semi finals of a national comedy competition . . . even though he didn't win the regional heat.

"The heat was won by someone else," explained the 46-year-old binman, "but the organisers thought I was good enough to get to the regional final, so they put me through."

Father-of-three Billy certainly got the laughs at the regional heat when he performed his "visual" joke with a pencil and piece of paper.

"It always gets a laugh," he revealed, "but I can't tell it in the paper because I have to draw it."

And the Bolton Council worker so impressed the actual winner of the regional heat, Willy Richardson, he split his £50 winnings with Billy.

"I thought that was a really nice gesture," he said.

Billy, from Lever Edge Lane, Great Lever, admits to having always been a bit of a joker. "I enjoy making people laugh," he said. "Laughing makes everyone feel good."

And his wife, Lesley, agreed. "He's just as funny at home," she said. "I can honestly say we never tire of his jokes. He somehow keeps coming up with new ones.

"And I know his workmates think he's funny."

Now Billy is preparing for the regional final of the Batchelors Cup a Soup Extra Comedy Challenge which is being held in Manchester on Monday, April 17. If he wins, he could scoop £250 and a chance to win £10,000 in the Grand Final being held in London on Thursday, April 17.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "It should be a laugh."

Boom, boom.

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