IT WAS a winning start to the New Year for two Find the Ball experts, who scooped this week's £2,000 runner-up prize.

Pensioners Roy and Maureen Day came closest to finding the ball in the Daily Echo competition - and it was the second time in a decade of playing that they have notched up a major win.

Roy, 78, was close to tears when we told him of his special cash prize.

"That's fantastic, I'm going to spend it on the wife because she deserves it," said the grandfather from Redlynch, near Salisbury.

"I've played Find the Ball every week for about ten years and have won £20 and £15 a few times, and about five years ago we won £1,000.

"But this is great. We'll probably spend some on our three grandchildren."

Do not forget to pick up tomorrow's Daily Echo to be in with a chance of winning this week's Find the Ball competition. The jackpot, which went unclaimed this week, now stands at £32,000 and the runner-up prize is £2,100. Find the Ball appears in four Newsquest titles each week and last year more than £279,000 was paid out in prize money.