AFTER more than ten years of supporting the Hospiscare charity by buying lottery tickets each week, a Northlew pensioner has scooped the top prize of £1,000.

Audrey Vincent, 84, lost her husband to prostate cancer five years ago and has suffered from the disease herself.

She said: 'I play the lottery to support the hospice as Hospiscare was marvellous when caring for my husband.

'I have won a couple of five pounds but I'm very surprised to win the top prize.'

Mrs Vincent has not yet planned how she will spend her windfall but would like to make some home improvements.

'To me it is a home, not just a house and there are some things that I would like to do,' she said.

'I shall keep supporting the lottery and buying my ticket every Wednesday from the Hospiscare shop in Okehampton.'

The Hospiscare Lottery gives away £1,500 of prizes every week. The charity is based in Exeter and cares for patients from the city and mid and east Devon. It needs to raise more than £4-million this year and for every pound raised 90p is spent directly on caring for patients.

Some 28 Hospiscare nurses are based in towns across the area, visiting homes and hospitals and are there for advice 24 hours a day. The charity has a 12-bed in-patient unit at its hospice in Exeter as well as day centres in Exeter, Tiverton and Seaton.

The charity relies on its 1,000 volunteers who transport patients, run shops, raise funds and awareness, provide complementary therapies and administration support.