Top tosser drives away in a new MG

A MOTHER-OF-FOUR proved to be an expert tosser yesterday and drove away in a spanking new car. However, if lady luck hadn’t been on her side she’d have seen her 1999 registered car go into the crusher.

Niamh Roberts from Clonee, Dublin, was one of four finalists in the wacky 98FM Tossers Promotion which culminated yesterday after four weeks.

"She was ecstatic. It was best out of three and she lost the first toss. But she won the second two and went away with a brand new MG Rover XR," said Ciaran Davis, 98FM marketing manager.

Fortunately, Niamh was the first finalist up, so as she won, she didn't have to forfeit her old car, nor did the other three finalists, much to their relief.

And it wasn't a joke because the 98FM promotion was prepared to make victims cringe. "We ensured that they had to wager against a toss of a coin and forfeit something which had a similar value to the prize," Mr Davis said.

One unlucky Dublin couple wagered their wedding album against a second honeymoon in a hideaway sunspot. They lost and had their 25-year-old album shredded.

Then there was the case of a Dublin GAA fan who wagered his hair against two tickets for the Dublin v Armagh game. He ended up ticketless and is now sporting a Mohican haircut. However, the organisers weren't that mean to him they agreed to pay for dyeing what was left in the blue and navy of the Dubs. Another victim had a sofa chainsawed into tiny pieces after losing a wager on a new one, and a computer owner saw his precious PC crushed after the spin of a coin deserted him.

Listeners to the popular radio station can expect more surprises in the weeks ahead.

"Another major station promotion will be organised in October and people can expect something equally as wacky," Mr Davis said.