The anxious weeks of waiting are over -- the £850 which has accumulated since the Keighley News Loyalty Card was launched has finally been won.

The winner, mother of three Elaine Richardson, of North Dean Road, Keighley, came to our North Street offices early on Monday morning to claim her winnings.

She recalls the moment when she realised she had won.

"I was absolutely shocked. I couldn't believe it," she says excitedly, still beaming with happiness at her good fortune.

Elaine, who collected her prize with partner Alan Watts, says she has followed the loyalty card numbers with interest and always checks her card.

"I check it every week. On Sunday I was having a look at the Keighley News and there it was on page two so I checked it out," says Elaine.

After matching the numbers printed in the paper with those on her card, which is always kept safely in her purse, Elaine says she was dumbstruck when she realised she had won.

"I had to sit down and last night I just couldn't sleep. I kept thinking 'What am I going to do with all that money?' " she says.

Elaine says her cash prize is the biggest she has ever won. She once got four numbers on the National Lottery. "That only came to about £70, which is nothing like this," she says.

Elaine, a part time cleaner, was at Alan's house when she discovered she had won and was checking the number in a neighbour's copy of the paper.

"Usually, when I'm at home, I borrow a copy from a friend of mine if I don't have one. I was up at Alan's so I asked his neighbour if I could have a look at his paper," explains Elaine.

Alan says: "She came rushing out all of a sudden, shouting 'I've won, I've won'."

Elaine's winning number was 51,401 and the prize total had risen to £850 since the start of the Loyalty Card competition at the beginning of April.

Elaine says: "When it started I thought I might win £50. That would have been better than nothing, but I was surprised no one had won it."

Elaine, who has three sons aged 24, 22 and 20, says she has no idea what she is going to spend the money on and adds that for the time being she is just going to pay it into the bank to earn some interest.

Keep checking your Loyalty Card against the number printed every week on page two. Next time it could be you on our front page.