THE boat has come in for shipyard workers who started a National Lottery syndicate and landed the jackpot - with the first ticket they bought.

The five men only started working together on Monday morning, and wasted no time in setting up a syndicate.

But they could not believe their luck when they checked their tickets at work on Thursday and found they had won £3.2m in the double rollover jackpot.

The men all work at the Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend, North Tyneside.

The £12.9m jackpot from Wednesday night was shared by four winning tickets. The North-East winners, each taking home £640,000, are Peter Gillan, 43, John Kelly, 52, Richard Robson, 37, Andrew Gill, 25, and Brian Dinsdale, 43.

They are all married or live with long-term partners on Tyneside and Wearside.

Mr Gillan organised the syndicate on his second day at the yard after he spent two years looking for work.

He said: "I didn't have the phone numbers of the other lads as we had only just met, so I had to wait until we started our shift at 7am on Thursday before I could break the news.

"Most of us have no real idea what we will do with the money except that Andrew would like a car and I will finally get a season ticket for Newcastle United."

Swan Hunter owner Jaap Kroese said he was thrilled for them. He said: "It is absolutely wonderful for them. They came in this morning and clocked in, but then told us they were taking the day off.

"I do not know if we will see them again. I am thrilled for them, but I hope they will come back to finish the ship."