A Canvey commuter and his wife were today toasting their luck after winning a year's supply of beer.

The good news has come after two months of heartache for the couple - eight weeks ago Christine Hook had to have her leg amputated.

Mine's a pint - Jeremy Hook picks up his prize from Seaview Minimarket owner Lee Petch Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

Christine, 44, of Point Road, suffered collapsed arteries in her leg and after an operation to replace the artery with a vein failed, she had to have the leg removed.

Since then the brave woman has been learning to walk again using an artificial limb.

Her husband, Jeremy, 45, said: "Christine had been doing fantastically well and the clinic she goes to is really pleased with her success.

"She can drive and she even goes swimming at Runnymede Pool. She is leading a normal life but she just has to do things differently."

Christine was delighted when her husband told her his name had been drawn as the lucky winner of 18 cases of beer.

He said: "I had bought some Carlsberg beer and entered this competition they were running but I never really thought I would win.

"But when I went into the Seaview Minimarket across the road from my house to buy my Echo the woman behind the counter told me I had won."

Published Thursday, January 23, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo