A Weston mum is ‘delighted’ after winning a £500 prize in the Mercury’s Christmas competition, with vouchers worth £1,500 still up for grabs.

Five Gold Rings started the festive season in style on November 29, with hundreds of people flocking to the Italian Gardens to enjoy the illumination of the Christmas lights before trying their luck with the big giveaway – which was for vouchers worth £500 for Pizza Express and Cineworld at Dolphin Square.

After a night filled with festive fun and shopping, Roxie Roche, of Bowden Cresent, was the lucky winner after being drawn from a jam-packed box of entries.

She said: “I’m so delighted. I really didn’t think I was going to win because there were quite a lot of people here.

“I was buying shoes in Diechmann when my phone rang and we started laughing because we knew what it was. I didn’t expect it to be me.

“My little boy’s birthday is in February and he loves the cinema, so that’s his birthday party sorted, and my little girl has been asking for pizza for dinner so we’ll probably head to Pizza Express now. It’s a perfect prize just before Christmas, being a working student it’s nice to have this little bonus.”

The competition, which is run in conjunction with Weston Business Improvement District, will be held every Thursday until Christmas at the late-night shopping events in the town centre – with £500 for different traders given away each week.

Town centre manager Steve Townsend told the Mercury ‘it was a great first week for Five Gold Rings, with the prize going to a lovely winner.

He said: “Luckily the weather abated and the rain stayed off, and we had a great turnout for out Christmas lights switch-on.

“The lights look absolutely wonderful, so if you haven’t seen them come and take a look.”

Today’s coveted prize will be a £500 voucher for Marks & Spencer, and readers can enter the draw at the Mercury stand in the Sovereign Shopping Centre.

Mr Townsend added: “Be sure to join us every Thursday leading up to Christmas to enter the competition; we’ve got some great prizes.”