A FURIOUS man is threatening to sue a relative for allegedly breaking her word and failing to share a bingo jackpot with him.

Ken Jones of Yewdale Gardens, Breightmet, claims that Margaret Brookes has gone back on a promise and failed to share the £5,333 prize.

And he says he has statements from witnesses, who claim they heard Mrs Brooks - who is related to him by marriage - promise to share her prize. He says he will use the statements in court in a bid to recoup the £2666.50 he says he's entitled to.

A solicitor's letter has been sent to Margaret's home in Bradford Road, Bolton, giving her seven days to hand over the cash. If she fails to respond the solicitors have threatened immediate court action. They say that if proceedings take place they will claim legal costs, interest and court fees on top of the half share.

But Mrs Brooks' solicitors say their client denies that an agreement to split the money had been made and that any court proceedings will be strenuously defended.

Angry Ken, 57, said: "She told people, before and after her win that she would share anything she won with me. But now it's come to the crunch she says I'm not entitled to anything. But she's not heard the last of this."

Margaret scooped the regional prize of the National bingo game at the Top Rank Club in Ashburner Street, Bolton, on Monday, July 15.

Ken says they often bump into each other at local bingo halls. But this was the first time they had sat together.

Margaret usually plays bingo with her husband Ron while Ken usually goes along to bingo with his sister. "She said if we won anything we'd share the prize. Which was alright with me as I usually share with my sister.

"Lots of people agree to share prizes at bingo - there's a special trust with the person you play with."

"We actually thought we'd just won the club prize of a few hundred quid and were on our way out of the club when the caller shouted us back to tell us we'd won the regional prize."

Margaret and Ken then both went to the manager's office to fill out forms to claim the prize.

"The manager said her signature would do. And that was that."

Ken says that after the pair left the club they called on relatives to tell them the good news.

But Ken's joy rapidly turned sour. He says that when he called at her home more than a week after the win she told him that he wasn't entitled to a penny.

"I was furious and told her I'd sue," says Ken.

He stormed out of her house. "If she'd not said we were sharing that night it would have been fair enough. But she did say she'd share and I want my half of the money."

Margaret told the BEN the matter was in the hands of her solicitor and she refused to comment.

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