CHRISTMAS has come early for supermarket cashier Rona Mitchell. She scooped a top prize with a scratchcard given out at a party at work.

Mrs Mitchell, 45, a mother of three, from Hawkhurst, won £100,000 on the Christmas-themed National Lottery scratchcard at a party with colleagues from the village's Budgens store.

She had no idea of her luck when the card came inside a Christmas card from managers. It wasn't until she got home and asked husband Anthony to scratch off the card that their stroke of luck was revealed.

Mrs Mitchell said: "I got him to scratch it off because he is always lucky. I thought it would be better for him to do it than for me.

He just went white and asked me to check it. Neither of us could believe it for a while and there was quite a lot of screaming. I didn't sleep much during the night thinking that this was such a wonderful Christmas present."

The couple plan to pay off their mortgage with the money and give a little to their three children.

They will also celebrate the win with family and friends at a New Year's Eve party at their home.