Superstitious housewife Tina Sanders is flying high after scooping £6,500 by hitting full house in bingo two weeks in a row.

Mrs Sanders, 35, of Chestnut Avenue, Headington - who counts magpies for luck - couldn't believe it when she won £1,500, but was even more flabbergasted when she scooped £5,000 the following week.

Mrs Sanders even won on her first ever visit to the Gala club in Cowley Road when her mother took her on her 18th birthday.

She now plays two or three times a week and has a superstition of counting magpies that seems to work.

Mrs Sanders said: "Unfortunately, the number I count doesn't effect how much I win. The week before last I saw 30 and won just under £1,500. Last Thursday I saw six and I scooped £5,078." Gala manager Terry Deller said: "It's an amazing coincidence. Not only did Tina win in two consecutive Thursdays, but each time she was just five numbers short of the top prize of £100,000."

"Needless to say we're looking forward to seeing her again this Thursday and hoping she might make it three in a row."

Mrs Sanders and her partner Mr Philip Chadborne have no idea what they will spend their windfall on.

She said: "For the time being, we'll just sit on our nest-egg - like a magpie."

Story date: Tuesday 09 March

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