A FAMILY from Thirsk was the lucky winner of a house, given away by Craven radio station Fresh AM at the weekend.

Darren Coupland, his daughter, Louise and his mother Audrey were all finalists but it was Mr Coupland who drew the correct key to the house at a fun day on Sunday.

Their luck began when 13-year-old Louise took a call from the radio station after the family had been following the competition throughout the week.

Louise was given clues to the name of a celebrity and had to guess correctly to enter the draw. She got a helping hand from her grandmother with whom she was staying at the time.

"Louise entered the competition for us so I am going to make sure she gives me a hand!" said Mr Coupland.

Part of the deal is that the family has to renovate the house by Christmas, or hand it over to charity.

The Couplands were given a tour of the property, which is in Barnoldswick, on Sunday and left full of ideas for improvements.

"I'd seen pictures of the house but it is only when I saw it for real that I realised what a challenge it is. Christmas isn't that far away," said Mr Coupland.

The family will be back in Barnoldswick this weekend, along with friends and helpers to start the work.

They will concentrate on stripping the wallpaper and choosing the new colours with the help of interior designers and materials donated by Merritt and Fryers.

Audrey said: "The house is in a right state and has been empty for some time. Walking in is like stepping back into the 70s! However it could be made really nice. Darren is a builder and his brother Doug a bricklayer so all we need is a joiner, plumber and electrician and we're sorted!"

The family intend to sell the house when they have completed the challenge. Mrs Coupland said: "We're Yorkshire through and through but the house is just too far from the sight of the Cleveland hills!"

Mark Reason, station manager at Fresh AM, said they had a superb day on Sunday, and it was a good day out for all the finalists.

"This is the first time a competition like this has been run on UK radio so it certainly is an exciting challenge. I hope they can do it because Louise and her dad will either have the best Christmas ever or a nightmare."