A darts player won £1,300 in a social club lottery - almost three months after he DIED.

And Ernie Hatcher's lucky lottery numbers came up on a memorial tribute night held for him.

Mr Hatcher had paid for his six bonus balls weeks in advance and his social club committee continued the payments afterwards in his memory.

His numbers finally came up at the Ashford Rail Staff Club in Beaver Road and the £1,332 will go to the Pilgrims Hospices.

Club secretary Tony Fortune said: "We couldn't believe that he won on a memorial night held specially for him.

"And now his family has been kind enough to ask for the money to go to the hospices."

Mr Hatcher, 66, a well known local darts player, died of a blood clot in January after suffering throat cancer.

He had already picked his six bonus balls for the club's in-house lottery and his advance £1 weekly payments stretched up to nine weeks beyond his death.

The committee agreed to keep up the payments in his memory and the six numbers came out on a recent memorial night for him.

Mr Hatcher, a single man, was a keen darts players, playing in several Ashford pubs such as the Alfred Arms and Crown and Anchor.

The money will aid the trio of local hospices at Hythe Road, Willesborough, Canterbury and Margate.

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