IT was a welcome start to the new year for lucky Daily Echo readers who scooped hundreds of pounds as part of our festive give-away.

Roy Canton, of Holbury Drove, Holbury, won £200 as part of the Christmas bonanza which according to wife Phyllis will be spent on their numerous caravaning trips.

Each day in the last week before Christmas we gave away £200 to a reader. It came after a month of give-aways in an effort to take the financial strain out of Christmas.

Prizes included hotel breaks, spa days, hundreds of pounds of gardening equipment, pantomime tickets, shopping sprees and lots more.