SUSSEX lottery winner John Myles was licensed for a thrill when he picked up a James Bond-style 1978 Aston Martin at a charity ball.

The 56-year-old multi-millionaire, who lives near Uckfield, bought the super cool car for £44,000 at Friday night's Thunderball event, at Brighton's Grand Hotel. John said: "I love big cars, and this is one of the best. It was rebuilt over about four years and it's in pristine condition. "The Thunderball was excellent, it was great to have a James Bond themed night out. For me Sean Connery will always be the best Bond." The Thunderball event, which took National Lottery operator Camelot eight months to plan, raised £55,000 for skin charity DEBRA. Bond girls and guys prowled the floor while guests knocked back vodka Martinis - shaken, not stirred. Items at the closed-bid auction included a signed England football shirt, which fetched around £700, a signed photograph of Pierce Brosnan, the latest James Bond, replica Bond guns and a miniature BMW motorbike from the latest 007 film, Tomorrow Never Dies. There was also a day's off-roading on offer, a signed gold disc from the band M People, a personal computer, a day out on the Orient Express and an exclusive box at Ascot. After the meal, a Shirley Bassey look-a-like and band Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel kept the dance floor busy. Tables were packed with 380 guests from organisations including Midland Bank, Saatchi & Saatchi, Cable & Wireless and Southern FM.

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