HOSPITAL bosses have taken their first steps to swell the pockets of their staff.

Mrs Barbara Peacock, chairwoman of Bolton Hospitals Trust, drew the three winning numbers in the new staff lottery.

More than 1,670 tickets, priced at £1 each, were bought by members of staff-each is allowed up to five tickets each.

Top prize in the first draw was £580.26. Second prize was £165.79 and third £82.89.

Benefits

The rest of the money - £828.94 - will go on staff benefits. A committee, including staff representatives, will consider staff ideas on how the money should be spent.

The winning numbers were chosen by an electronic random number selector which was donated to the Trust by the Clifton Arms in Farnworth.

It's expected that the prize money for the next draw, which will be held on the third Thursday of each month, will be even higher, as several applications for tickets were made after the closing date for this month's draw.

Beverley Andrew, director of operations for Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We're very pleased by the interest that has already been shown and are hopeful that the lottery will be increasingly popular.

"Staff can benefit twice from this-if they win a prize, and also from projects which the lottery will pay for."

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