A first-clas secretary in Tyneside popped out to buy her boss a stamp and returned to work a millionaire.

Carol Mitchell, formerly of Darlington, landing the Royal Mail's Christmas stamp promotion top prize.

Mrs Mitchell, a council planning department secretary, told how she was asked by boss John Miller if he could borrow a stamp and she told him she needed some herself to post her Christmas cards.

During her lunch-break 12 days ago she popped out of the office in Newcastle Civic Centre, where she works for the city council's planning department, to buy a book of 12 first class stamps and the game card she got with it proved a winner.

Mrs Mitchell, 50, who was today presented with her cheque at Royal Mail's main sorting office in Gateshead, Tyneside, said that she intended to continue her job where she has worked for 18 years and joked that she would be asking her boss for the 27p for the stamp he took off her.

Sitting with husband Ed, 47, a former steel contractor, who has given up his job in the wake of the win, Mrs Mitchell told how the win had yet to sink in.

She said: "I was at work with my boss, who sends quite a lot of personal letters but he did not have a stamp and I didn't have any either.

"I told him that I needed some stamps for my Christmas cards anyway and I would get them on my way back from lunch.

"When I opened the game card I thought 'yeah, right' and assumed I would be entered in a draw with lots of other people but when it was later confirmed, it was brilliant.

"My boss knows better than to ask for any of the money, in fact he hasn't paid me for his stamp yet so I might ask for that.

"I've been off work this week but I will be returning on Monday and then we will get Christmas over and into January before we decide what to do." The lucky secretary's birthday falls on Christmas Day and she added: "This is absolutely the best present I could ever have." Mrs Mitchell told how she broke the news to husband Ed when he was due to meet her near Newcastle Civic Centre for a drink after work.

She told him to meet her at the office instead and after hearing of the windfall he needed a cup of water and a sit down.

Ed added: "It was total disbelief."

The couple, from Denton, Tyneside, who have been married five years, now intend to return to Rome for a luxury holiday after briefly visiting the eternal city during a cruise three years ago where they threw a coin in the Trevvi Fountains which symbolises a return visit.

Mrs Mitchell, who has a daughter and two granddaughters added: "It's just a lot of money and a really nice cushion but we have not taken it in yet."

The Royal Mail national promotion is still running with a further £500,000 of prizes still up for grabs.