It was eyes down for a full house when a taxi driver won more than £200,000 playing bingo.

Mervyn Oakley, 56, of Wick Street, Wick, won £206,524 on the national bingo game at the Gala Club in Worthing on Sunday night.

Mervyn and his wife, Joan, 54, joined the club two years ago and play there every other week with their daughter, Paula, and her father-in-law, Bob McGlinchey.

Mervyn was handed his card as usual and listened with growing amazement as the numbers, which are announced over the tannoy, were crossed off one after the other.

He had no idea he was on to a big win until a woman came round with the numbers and broke the news he had won the competition in 36 numbers, the fewest in the country.

He won the national bingo game prize of £200,000, the regional prize of £6,430 and the house prize of £94.

Mervyn said: "I wasn't really expecting to win. I go in with the wife every other Sunday night and I was amazed.

"If I win £50 I'm excited but this is something else. My wife won £1,000 a couple of years ago but that's pocket money compared to this.

"When they told me I still didn't believe it - I looked at it and thought 'what's happened here?'

"I don't really know what I'm going to do with it - it hasn't sunk it yet. We couldn't get to sleep for ages last night and I woke up thinking 'Was that right - did I really win all that money?'

"I'll carry on working - I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise. We would like to take our grandchildren on holiday with us to Florida but we don't know yet."