A BINGO player who sued a relative after she allegedly broke her promise to share a jackpot prize has lost his case.

Ken Jones, of Yewdale Gardens, Breightmet, and Margaret Brookes fell out over a £5,333 bingo prize.

Yesterday, at Bolton County Court Mr Jones, aged 57, lost his bid to recoup £2,666.50 he claimed he was entitled to.

Mr Jones claimed he and Mrs Brookes agreed to share any winnings when they started playing at the Top Rank Club in Ashburner Street.

The pair were not regular bingo partners, but Mr Jones claims it is standard practice to make verbal "gentlemen's agreements" based on a code of "special trust" among players.

The hearing ruled that a verbal agreement was acceptable on a small house prize of just over £130 that Mr Jones and Mrs Brookes won.

But their numbers also came up on the regional prize of £5,333. And the court ruled that there was not enough clear evidence of an agreement that would cover a sum that large.

Mr Jones' solicitor, Toby Williamson, of Kippax, Beaumont, Lewis said in a statement after the hearing: "Obviously Mr Jones is very upset. He gambled at bingo and then he gambled with the lottery of the courts and lost again."

He added: "My advice to Bolton's bingo players is, if possible, get a firm written agreement with anyone you plan to share any winnings with. Or at least make sure there are witnesses to a verbal agreement who are prepared to back you up in court."

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