VERITY Perry thought she was the victim of a practical joke when she won a major prize in the Kidderminster Christmas Cracker promotion organised by the Shuttle/Times & News - but it was just a remarkable coincidence.

The adviser at the Banana Fitness & Health Club at the Glades Leisure Centre supported the competition to encourage people to shop in the town in the run-up to Christmas by donating a £300 annual membership as a prize.

So, imagine her surprise, when a letter from the Shuttle/Times & News dropped through her letterbox last week to inform her she had won - you've guessed it - a £300 membership for the Banana club!

The weekly draw involved tens of thousands of vouchers filled in by shoppers spending £15 or more at town stores throughout December. Prizes ranged from books to store vouchers, hampers to Harriers tickets.

The draws were made by the managers of the town's two shopping malls Margaret Moon and Phil Dunn and amazingly Verity's voucher - filled in after shopping at Boots - was matched with the Banana membership.

She said: "I thought it had to be a wind up. I could not believe my voucher would be drawn out for the prize I had given in the first place. I can't imagine what the odds were of that happening."

A quick call to the Shuttle/Times & News ended her suspicions of a practical joke, and a new draw for the fitness club membership saw RE Martin, of Harte Lane, Belbroughton, winning the prize.