A 66-year-old grandfather won the top prize of £20,000 - plus another £4,000 - at Britain's 'biggest ever' bingo session.

James Munnerley, of Haworth, won the cash in the final game at Gala Bingo's first Ultimate Bingo Session, held in Castleford. Nearly 900 players from all over the north of England competed for a share in a prize pot totalling £101,000.

James, who plays at the Gala Club in Keighley with his wife Mary, says: "I don't play bingo a lot. I just go when I feel like it. I've won a few small amounts before, but nothing to shout about. Today I thought I'd topped the lot with the £4,000 prize for two lines. Then, four more numbers and I'd got the jackpot! It still hasn't really sunk in."

James, who recently retired from his job at Magnet Joinery, keeps fit and busy tending other people's gardens and walking his dog. He plans to build a new garage for his daughter - a promise originally made by his wife if she should ever win enough money at bingo.

Keighley Gala Club manager David Heap says: "I'm just as excited as Mr Munnerley. It's not unusual to win on two lines and then get a full house if you only need two or more numbers. But he needed four, so it came as a big surprise.

"My heart was in my mouth by the last game anyway, because our club had won very little up to that point. To clean up with the last two for £24,000 was just brilliant. We must be the luckiest club in the region."

Nearly 450 Gala members from 16 clubs won places at the session by taking part in a number of eliminator rounds. Each winner brought a guest who was also able to compete for prizes from £500 to £20,00.

Mr Heap says: "To my knowledge this is the biggest bingo session ever held in one club in the UK. It has proved such a success we are already planning The Ultimate II."

Keighley Gala Club member Jean Pearson rounded off the afternoon by winning a holiday for two in Marbella, Spain.

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