THE winner of The Northern Echo's Win a Caravan competition collected his prize at the weekend.

Thomas Stephenson, of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was handed the keys to his Going 350 caravan by bosses at Ropers Leisure, at Catterick, North Yorkshire.

Mr Stephenson said: "I don't gamble and this is the first time I've won anything like this. You enter these competitions but you don't ever think you've got a chance of winning.

"I still can't believe I've won the caravan. I've not really thought of where I'm going to take it yet, but we might go away at Whit.

"I don't drive myself but I've had plenty of volunteers."

Neil Bond, accessory manager at Ropers Leisure, said: "This is a very good family caravan. I believe Mr Stephenson's got quite a large family, so it should be ideal. He seemed very pleased with it."