Bingo winner to share prize
A woman who won £200,000 playing bingo at a Stafford club is to give away £160,000 of her prize to four friends.
Michelle Kilner won the top prize as part of the National Game at Gala Bingo in Silkmore Lane at the weekend.
The 42-year-old, from Bonney Drive in Rugeley, has now told the Express & Star she plans to split the money between the four friends who went with her meaning they will each get £40,000 each.
Michelle said: "I won the prize myself and we all paid for our own tickets but when we went in we said we would split whatever we won so that's what I'm going to do. I'm not tempted to keep it at all, that's what we promised each other and I'm going to stick to it."
All five work at Morrisons Supermarket in Rugeley.
It was only the second time Michelle, who has three children, had played bingo.
Recalling the night she said: "I knew I had won the £100 house prize but everyone was standing up and clapping and I didn't know why at first.
"Then one of the staff told me I might have won the top prize but I didn't find out until later exactly how much I had won. That was when the manager had to get me a brandy to calm me down."
Michelle, who has worked at Morrisons for six years added: "I'm not a lucky person, I've never won anything in my life so I'm really pleased."
Although Michelle is only keeping £40,000 of her win she is planning to take her husband Laurence and her three children away on holiday.
She said: "We are going to have a really nice holiday because we haven't had one for six years and then I'm just going to put the rest of it away as a bit of a nest egg because we have just moved into a new home."
Michelle was the third person from the West Midlands to win a large sum at bingo recently.
Two members at Mecca Bingo in Bilston picked up more than £200,000 and £100,000 last month.
A 40-year-old mother from Wednesfield scooped the bigger prize, as well as £1,403 and £250.
The other winner was a 43-year-old from Dudley.
