Published at 16:40, Monday, 28 January 2013

A HOSPITAL ward cheered when a staff member took the call to say she had won the hottest mobile phone on the market – thanks to an Evening Mail competition.

SMART BIDDING Reverse auction winner Eileen Wight with her iPhone, which she secured with a winning bid of 35p LINDSEY DICKINGS REF: 50042774B000

Eileen Wight bagged herself the new Apple iPhone 5 in an Evening Mail reverse auction competition with a winning bid of 35p just before Christmas.

And readers will have another chance to win one of the must-have accessories of the moment when the Evening Mail launches its latest reverse auction for an iPhone 5 on Wednesday.

Mrs Wight, a nursing assistant at Dane Garth Mental Health Unit in Furness General Hospital, said of her win: “I got the call to say I’d won when I was at work and everybody was cheering. It was great, really lovely.’’

Mrs Wight, of Lime Tree Road, Ulverston, also celebrated her 62nd birthday around the time of her win, so described the new gadget as “a late birthday present and Christmas present all in one”.

The grandmother-of-nine, who joked she has to start her hectic Christmas shopping in August, said: “I’m not used to winning. I have a bit of luck, but not in competitions like that.

“I didn’t enter until just before the deadline.

“I was sitting away watching television and reading the paper and thought ‘I’ll enter, you never know’.

“If you don’t enter, you don’t win anything.”

The iPhone 5 was this Christmas’ must-have touchscreen smartphone and was sure to have appeared on many people’s festive wishlists.

Mrs Wight, who reads the Evening Mail every day, said: “It’s a bit of a luxury for us. I’ve just got an ordinary Samsung, nothing special. I’ll probably have to take lessons on how to use it.”

The iPhone 5 auction that launches on Wednesday is the latest reverse auction to be offered by the Evening Mail, with previous prizes also including Apple iPads.

To win the auction competitors have to enter by texting in the lowest unique bid.

In previous iPad auctions, bids of 24p and 60p have been enough to secure the main prize – not bad for a gadget with a retail value of £399.

Don’t miss your Evening Mail on Wednesday for full details of the iPhone 5 reverse auction.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk