A NEWLY-WED Bolton man has scooped thousands on the National Lottery.

John Gardner, 30, was part of a 12-strong work syndicate which pocketed £77,425 after matching five numbers and the bonus ball in the mid-week draw.

And delighted John, who only got hitched in October to 25-year-old Julie, says his share - about £6,500 - will help pay off some wedding debts.

John said: "The first thing I knew about it was when I walked in to work and a colleague told me what had happened. We are all very happy about it.

Married

"We've only just got married so it will help to pay off a few things from the wedding. My wife has got plenty of ideas of how to spend the rest."

One of his colleagues at Manchester-based Royal and Sun Alliance insurance company, Lindsay Verity, was the first to discover the news after checking numbers in a newspaper.

John's group has been playing the Lottery for two years and they have already had a number of small wins which have covered the cost of a staff Christmas party.

The Eagley couple has already paid for a skiing holiday early next year so they won't even have to shell out from John's winnings for a trip abroad.

But John admits that they will enjoy one or two off-piste drinks courtesy of the Lottery win, after a day on the slopes!

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