THE JCB driver who scooped a £7.5m fortune on the National Lottery resigned in style yesterday - when he arrived by helicopter.

Barry Moss, of Darlington, hired the luxury chopper to bid a final farewell to his career as a digger driver.

Mr Moss, who scooped £7.5m last week, has spent the past 20 years working as a digger driver.

However, he quit his £350-a-week job, at Sillars in Hartlepool, when he realised that he had won the lottery.

Yesterday, he and his partner of 20 years, Pat Herriott, took off from Teesside Airport in true millionnaire style.

They took JCB's helicopter to make a VIP trip to see the firm's factory in Rocester, Staffordshire.

After a 45-minute flight, they arrived at the company's headquarters, where Mr Moss used a JCB 3CX - the type of digger he drove until his lottery win - to dig his last hole and ceremonially bury his old hard hat and overalls.

Mr Moss, 57, said: "Although I have not decided what I am going to do in the future, one thing is for certain - I won't be climbing aboard a digger again to earn my living.

"I have driven JCB's machines for years and got a video about the company, but I have never seen the factory where the diggers are made, so it's great to get the opportunity."

To mark the end of Mr Moss's digger-driving days, trumpet player Guy Radford, of Uttoxeter Town Band, was on hand to sound The Last Post.

Mr Moss was the second Lottery jackpot winner in Darlington in a week. Anita Wynne, who lives just a mile from him, scooped £3.6m a few days earlier.

In another coincidence, Mr Moss's partner, Pat, who is sharing his good fortune, is a good friend of Mrs Wynne.

Mr Moss was enjoying a barbecue in the back garden of his semi-detached house when the Lottery draw came on television.

When the family realised he had all six numbers, a 24-hour party began. Mr Moss only stopped to phone his bosses to tell them that he was resigning.

Then the party started again, with a Sunday lunch for 12 friends and family.