Ref. 28289-15SERVICEMAN Craig Henderson is home from Iraq in time for what could be the best Christmas ever.

His family were voted winners in the Greenbridge competition, which was run in association with the Advertiser, and won an £8,500 perfect Christmas.

His partner Diane, 38, of Park North, was overwhelmed when she was told readers had voted them into first place.

"This is more than I ever could have imagined," she said. It is absolutely amazing. I think it will be just the most perfect Christmas ever."

"If we hadn't won I think we would have had a quiet Christmas.

"We were just waiting for Craig to come home safely and we weren't thinking too much about Christmas."

"It is just a fantastic end to a difficult year."

Craig, 31, spent three months out in Iraq during the war, another three weeks there in September and returned this week from another month on duty.

He said: "I was amazed when I got home. It's such a great prize. I want to thank the Advertiser, Greenbridge and the people who voted for us.

"Now I hope I will be able to stay at home for Christmas and New Year."

As an RAF movements controller Craig travels anywhere where servicemen go to support personnel and he can be sent abroad on a posting at a moment's notice.

When the prizes were delivered to their home Diane decided to leave the decorated dining table laid ready for Christmas because it looked so wonderful.

"I couldn't take my eyes off it," she said.

Her daughters Amy, 17 and Libby, 13, were particularly impressed with the 30 ins wide-screen TV, DVD player and cinema surround system.

They also plan to make use of the digital camera to record their perfect Christmas.

Other prizes included a Christmas tree, enough food and drink to keep them well fed into the New Year, a year's membership for Cannons Health Club, a year's pass for Cineworld and more than £1,000 in vouchers to be spent in Staples, Boots, Mothercare, PC World, Brantano, and Rosebys.

Diane was very touched that so many people had voted for them and she offered her heartfelt thanks to family and friends, parents at Goddard Park Primary School and the Advertiser's readers.

The other finalists, which attracted more than 600 entries, were: Sylvia Jones, a part-time cleaner from Walcot; grandmother Hilda Reeder, of Thames Avenue; bride-to-be Anne-Marie Gibbs, of Elmore and pupil Robert Oborne, ten, who goes to Liden Primary School.