Delighted couple Viv and Alan Bell are looking forward to the trip of a lifetime after winning a Mediterranean cruise in an Evening Press competition.

Cruise competition winners, Viv and Alan Bell, celebrate with York & County Press Reader Travel manager Vickie Henderson

The retired couple, who live in the Burton Stone Lane area of York, will spend 10 days in the lap of luxury during their sunshine holiday.

Viv, 55, said she had been in shock ever since the Evening Press rang her with the news.

"I still can't believe it," she said. "We love travelling and we've always wanted to go on a cruise but we just couldn't afford it."

The couple have already been to some of the destinations along the route of the cruise, Spain, Italy and Turkey, but other countries will be new to them like Portugal and Morocco. She and Alan, 70, who have six children and six grandchildren, will be going on their cruise in October.

They were chosen from 1,000 people who entered the competition, which involved collecting coupons from the Evening Press and answering geographical questions.

It was run in association with Reader Travel and Travelscope.

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