A gadget in a can of beer brought World Cup joy for a football-mad councillor.

Little did Michael Malone, deputy leader of Derwentside District Council, know that his tin of Budweiser contained a little transmitter.

Within 24 hours, UK representatives of the brewer presented Coun Malone, of Consett, County Durham, with two tickets to both the England against Argentina game and Ireland versus Germany.

"I have been called a lucky so-and-so, and much, much worse since it happened last Friday," said Coun Malone.

"We had bought a few tins from Safeway, in Consett, and left them in the fridge, then had a few friends around on Friday night.

"My daughter, Jane, noticed one of the tins had not really got cold. There was a little sign on the top, but she ignored that and - being a good Malone - simply tried to get to the beer.

"In the end, she and my wife used a tin opener and found this bit of wire with a button on the end. When we won the prize, we could not believe it."

Coun Malone, a teacher, said friends had queuing to get the spare tickets, but he decided to take his wife, Margaret.