A SWINDON woman has scooped a £97,000 bingo prize.

The 42-year-old mum, who has asked to remain anonymous, won the national prize during an eyes-down session at the Gala Bingo Club on Greenbridge Retail Park.

Club manager Gary Fitt said: "We had a good crowd in and there was a great atmosphere.

"When it was realised she had won this amount of money everyone started clapping and cheering and it was all quite exciting.

"We advertise our bingo by telling people to get the buzz at Gala bingo and this was the ultimate buzz for her.

"I was very excited along with everyone else and the win is a good boost for me personally and the club."

The woman was the top winner in a game which is played in every Gala bingo club throughout the country £95,000 was the national prize and added to this was £2,000 from the South West region.

Swindon has had a number of big bingo winners over the past few years.

One of the largest payouts was in May 1996 when Patsy Hanratty of Nine Elms, won £109,000 at the Top Rank Club in Regent Street.

And in August 2000, Bernadette Carter, 47, from Wantage, won £103,000 at the Gala club.

Another woman won a big cash prize at the Gala bingo club on Tuesday, picking up £7,500 in the national game.