ONE of Darlington's lottery jackpot winners took a helicopter ride today to say a final farewell to his career as a JCB digger driver.

Barry Moss, who scooped £7.5m last week, has spent the last 20 years working as a digger driver.

However, he quit his £350-a-week job at Sillas in Hartlepool when he realised he had won the lottery.

Today he and his partner of 20 years, Pat Herriott, took off from Teesside Airport in true millionnaire style.

They took JCB's helicopter to make a VIP trip to see the firm's factory in Rocester, Staffordshire.

After a 45 minute flight, they arrived at the firm's headquarters where Barry used a JCB 3CX, the type he drove until his lottery win, to dig his last hole and bury his old hard hat and overalls.

Barry, 57, said: "Although I have not decided what I am going to do in the future, one thing is for certain, I won't be climbing aboard a digger again to earn my living.

"I have driven JCB's machines for years and got a video about the company, but I have never seen the factory where the diggers are made, so it's great to get the opportunity."

To mark the end of Barry's digger driving days, trumpet player Guy Radford of Uttoxeter Town Band, was on hand to sound The Last Post.

Barry was the second jackpot winner in Darlington in a week, after Anita Wynne, who lives a mile from him, scooped £3.6m.

Updated: 16.00 Tuesday, July 17