WHAT a jolly lot you are.

The Northern Echo was inundated with nominations for entries into our Ho Ho Homes competition.

The contest - run in conjunction with Century FM - to find the brightest festive house in the region, has seen some wonderful entries from across the North-East.

But in the end there could be only one winner. And our judges picked out Tony and Judy Bennett, from Wolviston Court, in Billingham, Teesside.

The couple decorated their home with more than 1,000 bulbs and other decorations, include a life-sized Father Christmas, fibre-optic Christmas trees and white polythene sheets for a snow effect.

It took them a month to decorate their home, but it has been worth it - in more ways than one.

For the first time, they decided to ask for donations and chose the nearby Butterwick Hospice as their charity.

Ray said: "I can't believe we've won, to tell you the truth. It took me completely by surprise.

"And I can't believe how it's taken off, because up to now we've raised £900.

"We've had people coming from as far away as Peterlee, Newton Aycliffe and Darlington - word just spreads around, but I never thought we'd get so much of a good response"

Tony's prize is a cheque for £400, equivalent to a year's supply of electricity for the average domestic user.

He say's he's will use the prize to top up whatever he has collected to the £1,000 mark.

Ray Laidler, of the Butterwick Hospice said: "We're delighted with that and I am pleased he's won, because I know he puts a lot of hard work into it - every credit to him."

We had so many nominations for this year's competition that, unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit every one. But don't worry, because you can always enter next year.

Century Radio's Paul "Goffy" Gough, who presented Tony with his prize, said: "It was wonderful to have so many entries and to see so many homes lighting up the North-East.