A cleaner won two £500,000 Thunderball jackpots in the same draw by MISTAKE and almost asked for her ticket to be void
Image by: Tristan Potter SWNS
A cleaner won two £500,000 Thunderball jackpots in the same draw by MISTAKE and almost asked for her ticket to be void.
Gayle Say, 56, bought multiple lines for three tickets for Tuesday’s draw but realised she had copied the same numbers out twice.
The gran was about to ask the shopkeeper if she could cancel one of the tickets but changed her mind, because "it's not like we will win anyway".
But the lines she duplicated matched the five numbers 4, 7, 20, 23, 27 and the Thunderball 8 meaning she won the £500,000 top prize twice over.
Gayle also matched three numbers and the Thunderball on another line to claim an extra £20.
And in a one-in-a-million chance, she also won an extra £5,000 by matching five numbers and £10 for guessing three numbers on another line.
Gayle, who is married to Philip, 65, quit her job as a cleaner after scooping her mega rollover win.
She said: “I always go to the same shop to buy the tickets but after checking them I realised I’d chosen the same combination twice, one on each ticket.
“I thought about trying to get the ticket void but thought ‘it doesn’t matter, it’s not like I will win anyway’, and left the shop.”
Gayle realised her mistake had doubled her money later when she checked the Thunderball numbers on her phone.
She said: “With the tickets in my hand I rushed inside to tell Philip we had won and at the same time I realised another of the ticket’s had the same number line.
“I kept shouting ‘we’ve won and we’ve won again!’ Philip was scrambling around for his glasses to look at the phone to make sure I was right.
“We were both shaking, my legs were wobbling and we just looked at the phone in shock.”
Retired builder Philip, 65, said: “I immediately started to text the family with the news but no one believed me.
“I then saw a sight I will never forget, my wife dancing around the living room singing Frank Sinatra’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
The couple, who have four grown-up children and seven grandchildren, plan to put deposits on houses for their family and help them with their rent.
Image by: Tristan Potter SWNS
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Tristan Potter SWNS
Gayle added: “As well as helping out the family, all I want is for Philip to finish off the extension he is working on, and now with the winnings I can have a new kitchen.
“I resigned last week after we found out about the win, worked my week’s notice and as of today I am officially retired. It feels great.”
The couple bought their Thunderball tickets from Nina’s Convenience Store in Coventry.
Every Tuesday they buy multiple lines on three tickets based on door numbers, anniversaries and family birthdays.
Double lotto winners Gayle and Philip Say, who are both 65, say their first purchase will be a car to ferry around their seven grandchildren.
Gayle said: “My eyes popped out when I found out. I felt like jelly. I thought ‘I’ve got to get this right, it might not be’ I am still trying to get over it now. It’s beginning to sink in.
“We haven’t made a new purchase yet, but it will mostly be going to family and a new car. We’ve had lots of ideas but nothing as of yet.
“We couldn’t believe it. We can make a few more mistakes like that.
“My last shift this morning was great. I won’t have to get up in the cold dark mornings anymore. I have to leave the house by 6.40am and I do weekends so I only have one day off.
“I can lie in on Saturday and Sunday now. It’s amazing I haven’t done that for 28 years. I will find something to do though.
“We will sort one thing out at a time. We will be staying in Coventry though.
“We have used those numbers since it started. I’ve been playing the lottery since it started. I have done HotPicks and the EuroMillions, but I just do Thunderball now.
“I would usually just win little bits, but now I’ve got a big bit!”
Philip said: “After we found out we had two lots of numbers the same, she then said she has got a line with five numbers but without the bonus ball.
“If we had the bonus number, it would have been another £500,000. But a million is enough at the moment.
“I cycle everywhere, so I don’t have a car. But it will be something for the kids. It’s £1million for our family, not for us.
“We want to get a family car because we have grandchildren. I look after them on a Monday and a Tuesday.
“We won’t change, we will be the same. It’s just you have some money to be the same with.
“We still have our numbers for tonight’s draw. I just hope we win that one.”
A stunned pensioner found a Napoleonic sword in the same spot he buried it as a boy - 70 years ago
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
A stunned pensioner found an Napoleonic sword in the same spot he buried it as a boy - 70 years ago.
Peter Pike, 81, was just 11 when he first came across the mystery weapon in a scabbard while playing with friends in the woods.
He was scared by his discovery and didn't tell his three pals, so quickly buried it again in the same spot and forgot all about it.
But several decades later he remembered what he had done and decided to try and dig it up.
And to his amazement when he returned to the woods in Newton Abbot on holiday it was still in the same spot.
The historic weapon now has pride of place on display at his home in Paington, Devon.
Peter said: "We were playing in Bradley Woods. When I was a child that's what you did.
"Every Saturday morning about four of us would go and play up in the woods and we built our own den.
"We all used to go up to where we were playing. I was only about 11 and it was all very sweet and innocent.
"One day one of the lads said 'Can we make another den this one's getting very dirty' and I was pushed under a big bramble bush to have a look.
"As I was pushing back all the roots and leaves I found this sword - a big metal one in a metal holster.
"I was so surprised I didn't know what to do."
Peter, who was raised in a children's home, was worried that he would get in trouble if he returned to his carers with a sword - so he hid it.
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
He added: "In those days if we did anything wrong they always threatened that you would get sent to Forde Park if you were naughty.
"I thought if I took a sword back to the children's home that I would get sent to Forde Park which was more like a prison for boys.
"So I didn't tell anybody - I covered it up with mud again and left it for later.
"But then I just forgot all about it for years and years."
Peter now has the sword and experts have taken a look at it and confirmed that it probably dates from the end of the Napoleonic wars in the early 19th century.
He added: "I never thought about it once in all that time.
"It wasn't until I was back in Devon on holiday that I remembered. We arranged to go back to the woods and take my daughter's beach spade with us.
"I couldn't believe it - I went straight back to the exact same bush and dug with the child's metal spade and I was lucky. It was still there. I couldn't believe it.
"We decided to bring it home and it's been with us ever since, in pride of place on the fireplace.
"It's in a metal holster and it was well-oiled but it looks like it's seen some heavy action - there's damage on the hilt and I wonder if that's why it was thrown away."
Peter said he has taken the sword to Newton Abbot Museum for evaluation and experts believe it dates from sometime around the end of the Napoleonic War.
Peter added: "The Museum is interested in putting it on display but I don't want to give it away or sell it - maybe at some later time, but not just yet."
Video by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Hundreds of rough sleepers in Britain are to be given ''pioneering pods'' this Christmas - previously used in the 'Calais Jungle'
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Hundreds of rough sleepers in Britain are to be given ''pioneering pods'' this Christmas - previously used in the 'Calais Jungle'.
More than £10,000 has been raised for the groundbreaking initiative, which is being rolled out across Bristol, Bath and Weston-super-Mare.
The lifesaving 'Sleep Pods' were originally made to help refugees in Europe and cost roughly £25 each.
But 400 are being brought to the South West as part of a project aimed at battling homelessness and are set to be distributed next month.
The cash for the designs has been raised through a sold-out music event titled 'Give a S*** Xmas', featuring the band IDLES and Geoff Barrow, member of Portishead.
Local statistics estimate that 85 people a night sleep on the streets of Bristol alone - with recent reports showing homeless people in the city are dying at twice the national rate.
Homelessness in general has risen in the UK by more than 165% in the last decade with 726 people dying in 2018 - a 20% increase on the year before.
Volunteers are now being sought to help build and distribute the pods.
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Joby Andrews, director of Refresh the West who are involved in the project, said: "This is a truly Bristol collaboration of people who recognise there is a homeless crisis in our city and have come together with an emergency measure to stop people dying on the streets this Christmas.
"Give a S*** Xmas has stepped in at the last minute to help us raise the extra funds we needed to get the 400 sleep pods down here from where they are made in Birmingham, so we are particularly grateful to them.
"We really need people now to come and help us build the pods and get them out to people who have nowhere else to go over the festive period."
Tom Friend, from Give A S*** Xmas, said: "We’ve been overwhelmed by the response to this year’s gig – there is so much support from the local community in helping people who have nowhere to live and we all have a role to play.
"In particular, where people cannot access a safe night’s respite this is particularly desperate
"When we heard about the drive to bring 400 Sleep Pods to Bristol, we knew we had to support it alongside our other front line charities and hope as many people can get involved in the build as possible."
People are asked to email joby@refreshwest.com to volunteer.
WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND - A young woman who suffers up to 100 seizures A DAY has revealed she's regularly rescued by her dog - who can recognise her distress despite never being trained
Image by: Lucy Brown
A woman who suffers up to 100 seizures a DAY is regularly rescued by her DOG - that can recognise her distress despite never being trained.
Lucy Brown gave up her job and lost her freedom after being struck down by non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD).
The condition has forced the former carer to leave the house she shared with her boyfriend of five years and move back in with her parents for her own safety.
Brave Lucy, 20, said she has also had to sign on for benefits and has lost several friendships since being hit by NEAD as she can't drink or go out.
But one thing has kept her going through the difficult times - her pet dog Freddie.
Despite no training Freddie acts like a seizure dog - whenever she fits he licks and paws at her and brings her round.
The two-year-old Labrador acts as Lucy's safety net, keeping her out of harm when there is nobody else around.
She said: "He does what seizure dogs do - he licks me and paws me to bring me round but has never had any training.
"He's the main reason I moved back home. He will help me when I'm on my own. He's my dog - I got him as a puppy. He's always by my side and will just lie with me.
"I can't remember the first time he helped but, from what I’ve been told, he just ran straight over to me, starting licking my face and cuddled his body into me."
Lucy, from Warrington, Cheshire said she first suffered seizures when she was in her mid-teens but they quickly disappeared.
However, the condition returned with a vengeance at the start of 2019 - turning her life upside down.
Although doctors initially thought she had epilepsy medication prescribed to her put her in hospital - leading staff to run a series of tests that eventually led to NEAD.
Symptoms include convulsions and loss of bladder control - all epilepsy-like indicators.
She said: "It's just been getting me depressed - losing my job and everything. Everyone is moving on with their lives and I'm held back.
"It's very lonely. I don't really do much. I can't even have a bath alone.
"I average about ten seizures a day, although it was up around 100 in February. They range from staring into space to full-on fits.
"I have to make sure I'm in a safe place. A couple of times a month they go above 20 or 30 a day.
"The seizures don't really have a trigger.
"When I first started having them I was still going out and I would always get them when I got home, so I thought it could be the lights.
"Car headlights always look like they are on full beam, too. But I still don't think that's right."
Image by: Lucy Brown
Image by: Lucy Brown
Image by: Lucy Brown
Image by: Lucy Brown
Plucky Lucy said her partner Bradley, 20, has been great.
But the condition has meant she can't go out and drink anymore - meaning she has drifted away from some people.
She said: "It's just embarrassing going out. Socialising is just no good as you're in fear of having one [a seizure]. I've lost a lot of friends.
"Friends use to invite me to go out but due to so many last-minute cancellations they naturally stopped asking.
"I get occasional texts off of a couple of people but I just have lost contact with a lot as I rely on others. I won’t go anywhere on my own."
Lucy said the attacks can strike at any time - and there's no telling when they might stop.
She said: "I might have to live with [NEAD] for the rest of my life. But it could also stop tomorrow. I've got some other health problems - I'm going through some tests at the moment.
"They want to rule out epilepsy completely although I'm already sure it's not. They have to be 100 per cent sure as if you're not on medication it can damage your brain."
Stoic Lucy now wants to speak out to raise awareness.
It is estimated that around 15,000 people in the UK have the condition, according to a NEAD support website - although that figure could be much higher.
She said: "A lot of people get diagnosed with epilepsy and actually have NEAD. It's about awareness.
"Epilepsy drugs are really toxic for your body so it's not good to be on the medication [if you don't need them]."
Lucy has tried counselling for the condition but, aside from that, said there is not much that can be done - including surgery and other treatments.
Sadly, she said: "Counselling was the only option for me."
Video by: Lucy Brown
DEAD COOL! - Moment a Marvel fan has celebrated his 100th skydive - by jumping dressed as Deadpool
Image by: Derek Finn
A Marvel fan has celebrated his 100th skydive - by jumping dressed as Deadpool.
Derek Finn, 37, jumped from 12,000ft dressed as the lycra-clad superhero, played by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.
He decided to wear the outfit after watching the skydiving scene in the second movie, when Deadpool jumps to the ground - only to be left hanging on a roadside sign.
Ex-freestyle skier and full-on daredevil Derek donned his favourite Marvel hero's suit, and had a buddy film the 50 second free fall over Las Vegas, Nevada.
Derek, from Las Vegas, said: "It ended up being a perfect day, and I was able to do the jump with five friends - one of them filming it!
"I had some amazing footage, and just wanted everyone to know that you can have loads of fun skydiving and going in fancy dress!
"Usually people do something fun to celebrate a milestone like the 100th jump.
"They jump naked, or in their underwear or something.
"Since mine happened to be on our hHalloween party, so I decided to wear a fun costume - and who's more fun than Deadpool?
"I mean, you also don't want anything loose or flapping or sticking out when you skydive because it can catch on your parachute, so the one-piece was a good pick!"
Image by: Derek Finn
Derek first started skydiving in May because he always wanted to try it, jumping so regularly he got his licence in just four months.
He decided to dress as the 'Merc with a Mouth' for his 100th jump over Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) as he loves the loudmouthed hero.
Derek said: "I picked Deadpool because he's probably my favourite Marvel superhero - I've always been a fan of the comics, video games, and movies.
"And there's an epic skydiving scene in the Deadpool 2 movie.
"So I thought dressing as him would be a perfect fit!
"We had a load of fun, and it made for an awesome day!"
Derek jumped for the 100th time at around 2pm on October 26.
A Muslim schoolgirl who was "strangled" with her own hijab has said she is terrified to leave her house after the vicious attack
Image by: JP Sheffield Star
A Muslim schoolgirl told how she was 'strangled' with her own hijab and punched during an horrific racial attack as she was travelling on a bus.
Redana Al-Hadi, 14, was punched repeatedly by a woman who had shouted racial slurs at her while she was travelling with her 13-year-old sister, Wadaad.
Redana was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured eye socket after the attack, which she says has left her "too scared to get the bus to school".
The teenagers were travelling home from school when the woman, who was travelling with a man, began to "mock" their accent and abuse them about their headwear.
The argument then spilled out of the bus and onto the road, where the woman knocked Redana to the ground and beat her.
Mobile phone footage of the horrifying incident was shared online and shows the woman on top of Redana as blows rained down.
Brave Redana has now spoken out about the ordeal, which took place shortly after 4.30pm on Wednesday, December 4.
Redana, of Sheffield, South Yorks., said: "As we were getting off the bus he stood up and screamed the N word towards my friend and then my friend reacted but a little boy at the back of the bus stood up and said don’t call her that, we’re black.
"Then the lady stood up and started pushing the man towards the back of the bus and then she punched him.”
Redana says a short argument broke out between the man and the woman – who are thought to have known each other – before the man grabbed one of the children.
She said the woman then turned on her and began shouting racial slurs.
Image by: JP Sheffield Star
Image by: JP Sheffield Star
Redana added: “She then threw herself at me and dragged me out the bus, and as she dragged me to the floor she strangled me with my hijab and then my little sister tried to stop it and the man grabbed my sister by her waist and threw her into oncoming traffic.
“She kicked me in my neck and knocked me out with her fist and started smashing my head and stamping on me while my arm was over my face and I thought I broke my arm.
"My face is all swollen and it’s a mess.”
She said she has been left traumatised and scared to leave the house.
She added: “I feel targeted because I’m a Muslim girl and I’ve not gone back to school because I’m too scared to go back on the bus or to leave my house.
“I’m scared of adults harassing me and I already had bad eyesight, I wear glasses, and the eye she damaged is my good eye.”
The girls' mother Racheda Ali, 51, said: “When I got the phone call from my Wadaad my youngest saying ‘mum she’s killing my sister, she’s attacking Redana and attacking us’, I just didn’t know what to do.
"When we got there all the children were crying because they were all scared and shaking.
"My daughter was having a panic attack, it’s just ridiculous what they did to her.”
A 40-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man were arrested by South Yorkshire Police, who said the incident "remains under investigation".
The solicitor representing the family, Arshaid Bashir of Adam Law Solicitors, said:
“This is an assault on a child where derogatory language has been used.
"It is a racially aggravated assault.
"There was serious harm to a child who was attacked due to her appearance.
“The CPS ought to have been consulted prior to any decision being made. Public duty requires the perpetrator to be prosecuted.
“At the very least the perpetrator should have been charged with affray as part of joint enterprise with the co-accused as unlawful violence was used towards another which caused other persons to fear for their safety.
"There are aggravating features in this case as it was a busy public area, children were present and it was a sustained attack.”
This is the moment a real-life 'Iron Man' showcased his jetpack technology to American military teams
Image by: Ben Philipson
This is the moment a real-life 'Iron Man' showcased his jetpack technology to American military defence teams.
Richard Browning, a former Royal Marines Reservist, is seen whizzing round the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The fully functioning ‘Jet Suit’ developed by Gravity Industries is powered by cutting-edge technology and makes human flight a reality.
Richard, Founder and Chief Pilot of Gravity Industries, travelled to Annapolis, home of the United States Naval Academy to play host to the ‘Atlantic Future Forum’.
There were a series of events on board the vessel, aimed at bringing together the military leadership and great minds from a host of nations to discuss the future of Defense capability
As a beacon of UK innovation in this space, Gravity Industries was invited by the Royal Navy and British Embassy to support the two days celebrating British Trade and Innovation, by demonstrating multiple Jet Suit flights to innovators, business leaders and senior military representatives from the UK and US.
Image by: Ben Philipson
Image by: Ben Philipson
Image by: Ben Philipson
Richard can be seen leaving the HMS Queen Elizabeth and hurtling across the ocean to spin around a boat full of amazed US investors.
As the founder of Gravity Industries, Richard leads a team that also designs and builds the Jet Suits.
He recently more than doubled his own world record, achieving a speed of more than of 85 mph: he now holds the Guinness World Record for “fastest speed in a jet engine powered suit”.
Richard said: ‘We were honored to be invited to support this year’s Atlantic Future Forum and demonstrate the capabilities of Gravity’s jet engine powered suit to this audience”
“We are passionate about supporting UK PLC, Trade and Innovation and our work with the Royal Navy is part of an ongoing programme of exploration and demonstration of our tactical mobility capability.”
“This exploration is alongside our core focus which is scaling more than 90+ events across 30 countries, into becoming an international Race Series.”
Video by: Ben Philipson
STAG KILLED BY PLASTIC - These shocking pictures show a stag found with its antlers wrapped in a mass of discarded plastic strapping
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
These shocking pictures show a beautiful stag which died after it was found with its antlers wrapped - in a mass of discarded plastic strapping.
The distressed animal was discovered tangled in the plastic waste on a hillside on the west coast of Jura, Inner Hebrides, yesterday (Wed).
It is thought the stag had been grazing on seaweed on the idyllic island's shoreline when the plastic banding caught on his antlers.
He then walked around a mile onto the hillside, where he has been starving for the last week as the plastic was wrapped around his mouth.
The beautiful animal was discovered by shocked gamekeeper, Scott Muir, 32, who said the stag sadly had to be put to sleep.
Scott, who has lived on the island - with a population of just 230 - all his life, said plastic pollution on the coast has increasingly worsened in the last five years.
He said: “I was walking over the estate when I saw the plastic waste and realised there was a stag caught.
“I thought it was dead at first but as I approached it I could see his head start to move.
“These can be 18st animals and I know how powerful they can be, but he looked tired and stressed and he couldn’t see because the plastic was right around his antlers.
“He wouldn’t have been able to graze either as it was right over his mouth, so he was effectively starving.
“He would have been down at the shore grazing on seaweed, like a lot of the stags do, and as he has had his antlers down they have caught in the plastic banding.
“It looks like he has then walked about a mile up onto the hillside, no mean feat considering it was tangled around his back leg as well as round his antlers.
“I think he has been there for about a week. In the end the animal had to sadly be dispatched.”
Image by: Clemens Weiss
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Scott is also a volunteer with Wild Side of Jura, a group aiming to protect the west coast and raise awareness to stop plans for a potential fish farm being built.
Scott said: “We are a group of five or six volunteers who came together to protect the west coast of Jura and raise awareness of a fish farm which is trying to be built here.
“The plastic pollution is getting worse. We have seen an increase in plastic waste on the west coast in the last five, six years.
“The plastic on the stag is not fishing net but plastic banding which is used in conjunction with fishing.
“We can’t categorically say where it came from but I'd be willing to bet some sort of commercial fishing, fish farm, which is what we are trying to stop on the west coast of Jura.”
Anger locals took to social media to voice their outrage.
One said: "That's shocking, poor animal, the thought of him struggling with that for hours makes me so angry.
"So much plastic out there, it makes it much more of a reality when you see the damage it does so close to home."
Another said: "Poor thing, what an awful sight. I can’t believe how loosely regulated boats are it’s dreadful."
Someone else added: "Whoever threw that, and more, overboard obviously do not care about the consequences of their actions.
"Out of sight, out of mind. What a terrible plight for an innocent creature."
I'M THE FANCIEST DRESSER - These pictures show Britain's best Hallowe'en fancy dresser - a little girl who wears a series of amazing costumes designed by her mum
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
These pictures show Britain's best Hallowe'en fancy dresser - a little girl who wears a series of amazing costumes designed by her mum.
Siobhan Smith, 25, first created a homemade costume for her daughter Caoimhe Flynn, aged five, in 2015 and has only got more adventurous with her ideas.
Her first costume for Caoimhe was a granny followed by a Starbucks paper-style coffee cup, the Statue of Liberty and a Transformer.
This year the inventive mum hilariously dressed the youngster up as Glasgow’s iconic Duke of Wellington statue.
Siobhan aims to upcycle material and the most she has spent on one of her amazing designs is £25.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The childcare student, from Govan, Glasgow, said: “Every Halloween I try and hand make all her costumes.
“It was a wee granny first but she was one and just walking.
“Then the second one was Starbucks then the Statue of Liberty, then the Transformer and now the Duke of Wellington.
“The wee granny one was all stuff I had so it cost nothing.
“The Starbucks one was about £10 for the material and £5 for the paint.
“Then the Statue of Liberty was about £10 for the material.
“I just try and think of the most random stuff.
“I’m arts and craftsy and enjoy a challenge.
“She [Caoimhe] never really asks to be these, she’s quite laid back."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Mum Siobhan was heaped with praise after making a Transformer costume last year.
To create it she used cardboard boxes she got while she worked at McDonald's and fairy lights she bought for £5 from eBay.
She said: “The Transformer was tricky and something completely different.
“In Govan everyone couldn’t wait to see it.
“I was doing a wee half an hour every night over five weeks to make it.
“She was quite worried she couldn’t get back up properly and this one she thought a lot of people would laugh, but then she said she loved it."
For her latest work, Siobhan was inspired to replicate the Duke of Wellington after a light-bulb moment when she was about to throw away Caoimhe’s old rocking horse.
The Duke of Wellington costume is the most expensive one Siobhan has made - costing just £25 to make.
Caoimhe already had a black top and black boots, so Siobhan bought a secondhand black leather jacket and a sports cone from eBay, and black leggings from Amazon.
Siobhan said: “I was going to throw out the horse then I thought there was something I could do with it.
“I just painted it black and bought the black leather jacket and leggings.
“She already had a black top and black boots.
“I sawed the rocking bits off it and attached the wheels.
“It was for her after school care party and she’s still got her school disco to go.”
Proud of her handiwork, Siobhan posted a picture of Caoimhe dressed up on social media which went viral - attracting more than 6,000 likes and 5,000 shares.
Siobhan, who believes she now has her work cut out to better the Glasgow landmark, said: “Most people didn’t think I could top last year’s but now they’re saying the Duke of Wellington is better.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do next year now."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Rescue dogs tuck into an edible gingerbread house - made of doggie treats
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Christmas came early for these rescue dogs when they were let loose on an edible gingerbread house made out of doggie treats.
The hut is covered in 2,000 dog biscuits, 1,600 chewy treats, 12 kilos of melted dog drops for 'cement' and 24 pup-friendly stockings.
It was set up as a festive treat for residents of Manchester Dogs Home in Cheshire.
Anna Stansfield, speaking on behalf of the dogs’ home, said of the event created by wilko: “We were blown away when we got the surprise opportunity to welcome the grotto to our site for a festive celebration.
“We have more than 60 dogs here that are looking for loving homes – many won’t be adopted before Christmas, so this is a brilliant second-best.
“The pets have all had a brilliant day, and to be honest I think we have as well, seeing how much joy it’s brought them.”
A survey of 2,000 dog owners, commissioned by wilko, also found an average of £27 pounds is spent per-pooch on gifts over the festive season.
And more than one in 20 will shell out upwards of £100 on their beloved hound, with an average of three gifts bought per dog.
The most common Christmas present for furry companions is a dog chew (70 per cent) followed by a chewy toy (62 per cent) and a stuffed animal (57 per cent).
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
Image by: Dan Rowlands SWNS
More than two thirds of dog owners will even take the trouble to wrap their pet’s special presents, to ‘unwrap’ on Christmas morning.
And a quarter even confess to spending more on their pet than they have on some friends or family members.
More than half - 58 per cent – encourage friends and family to spend money on a present for their pet to open on December 25th, according to the OnePoll data.
When it comes to Christmas dinner, one in five pampered pooches are treated to their own specially-made plate, while 20 per cent of owners allow their dog to have a seat at the table.
A quarter also write their furry friend’s name on Christmas cards, as if they’ve had a hand – or a paw – in writing it.
A third genuinely believe their dog is aware of Christmas Day when it happens, and half make a special effort to include their pet in the festivities.
Daniel Bingham, senior buyer for pets for wilko said: “Most of us will be having a very merry Christmas and as a retailer that sells gifts for all the family, we know that a major portion of the nation will be purchasing presents for their pets.
"But we also know that won’t be the case for a lot of less fortunate pets in rescue shelters and homes.
“Our survey results found Brits are willing to go the extra mile to really spoil their pets at Christmas, be it via gifts or even sitting at the dinner table, but there are still so many that deserve love.
“We were happy to do our bit to bring some festive cheer to Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Home, and hopefully some of these beautiful dogs will soon enjoy a Christmas with a loving family.”
Video by: Ashley Moran
