AN 84-year-old great grandmother from Darlington has become the first winner of The Northern Echo’s festive £1,000 cash prize draw.

Loyal reader Heather Layton, from Fenby Avenue, Darlington, was shocked but delighted when she found out she had won the Echo’s first Cash for Christmas competition.

She said: “I am shocked, I never win competitions. I wasn’t expecting it at all but it’s a lovely surprise.

“It’s a great time of year to win something like this – it is a lovely Christmas present.”

The mother-of-three said she has not made any plans on how to spend the £1,000 yet.

She said: “I have three children, two who live locally and I have son in Australia. I have four great grandchildren who live there too and they are coming to visit me in April.

"They moved there 27 years ago but I’ve never visited. I’m too old to fly all the way over there, it is just too far.”

Andy Richardson, editor of The Northern Echo, said: “It is lovely to see that Mrs Layton is such a loyal reader of The Northern Echo. We hope this cash comes in handy for her and her family at Christmas.”

  • To enter the prize draw, cut out and collect six tokens printed in each copy of the The Northern Echo this week. Then attach them to the entry form printed in Monday’s edition.