Bearing a van-load of gifts Santa Claus arrived early at the Lord family's Brighton home to give them a Christmas they would never forget.

Exhausted mum Sue Lord had just sat down to watch Neighbours when the doorbell rang.

Minutes earlier, she had waved husband Steve goodbye as he set off for a follow-up brain scan - two years after a motorbike crash left him seriously injured.

Unsure who could be calling round at 6pm on a Thursday evening, an unsuspecting Sue went to the door of her home in Warrior Close, Portslade, and opened it - to the surprise of her life.

There, on the doorstep, was Santa Claus and a photographer from The Argus.

Behind them was a delivery van packed to the brim with enough presents to give the Lord family the Christmas of a lifetime.

Slowly it dawned on Sue that her family had been picked, out of almost 6,000 others, to be the lucky winners of The Argus Win Your Christmas competition.

When at last she found her voice, she said: "You are joking.

"I never ever thought I'd win it. I don't believe it, I am gobsmacked. Oh my God, I've still got my slippers on."

Sue and three of her four children watched wide-eyed as the van was unloaded and parcel after parcel carried into their cosy home.

So shocked at her unexpected good luck was Sue, she could not remember exactly what she had won.

As children Kayleigh, 15, Kieran, ten, and Kimberley, six, excitedly ripped open the mystery parcels, she was still lost for words.

The family have had their home decked out in festive lights and decorations since December 1.

Now they have to find somewhere to put another tree - and new decorations too.

In total, the Lord family has won presents to the value of £6,000.

Sue, 38, who works part-time at the Peter Gladwin School in Portslade, said she had never won a competition before and didn't expect to after two years of bad luck.

She said: "I have The Argus delivered and read it every day and I saw today's story saying someone would win this evening.

"I didn't think twice about it. Never in a month of Sundays did I think it would be me.

"I do the lottery every week but I never win anything.

"We've had a rotten couple of years.

"My mother-in-law died in July and two years ago, Steve (an engineer), had a motorbike accident. He was off work ill for 18 months.

"He went back but was laid off in September. He's still unemployed so it has been a bit of a struggle.

"We've already bought some Christmas presents on Steve's credit card but when he gets back tonight, he'll get the surprise of his life.

"This is a great way to celebrate his 40th birthday on Sunday too."

Catching sight of the Waitrose vouchers Sue added: "I don't think I'll be going to Asda this week!

"Maybe we should have a New Year's Eve party. I don't normally have the opportunity to try champagne.

"I think we ought to splash out a bit now and have a really good Christmas.

"I'm really ecstatic, so happy. It hasn't sunk in. The phone is going to be red hot tonight."

Kayleigh, who goes to Blatchington Mill School with her older brother Kirk, 17, (who was out working when Santa called) is already planning a clothes shopping trip to remember.

She said: "I'm so proud of mum - she's not really won anything before.

"We didn't even know she'd entered."