Just months after the terror of an armed robbery a postmistress is celebrating a stroke of good fortune.

Jill Brennan, of Skelmanthorpe Post Office, stared down the barrel of a sawn-off shotgun when her premises were raided last May.

But this week her luck changed for the better after she won almost £1,000 in a competition.

Jill 51, entered Absolute Radio’s Pay Your Bills competition in a bid to get Santander bank to pay her £986 tax bill.

Jill was chosen at random from thousands of listeners and had 30 minutes to call in and claim her prize after presenter Christian O’Connell read out her name on his breakfast show.

Jill said the cash boost was a great surprise after coming back from holiday just a week ago.

She said: “After going through the traumatic experience of an armed robbery at work in May, in which luckily no-one was hurt, winning this competition has made my month and year.

“It’s just absolutely brilliant and especially being so close to Christmas. It means I can use the money I was going to spend on my tax bill on more presents for the family.”

Breakfast show host Christian said: “I’m really chuffed we could give Jill an early Christmas present.

“Hopefully the invite round to hers for turkey with all the trimmings is in the post!”

The brazen robbery of Jill’s post office last May shocked the community.

Two balaclava-clad robbers burst in at 10am on a Friday morning and ordered Jill to hand over cash.

Several customers were in the Commercial Road premises including a mum and her two-year-old girl.

All were ordered onto the floor at gunpoint.

The thieves shouted “give us the money” and ordered Jill to open a time-locked safe, waiting over four minutes to get its contents.

They fled the scene but were later arrested by police.

The men both admitted their parts in the raid at Hull Crown Court in September.

Lewis Emanuel, 29, of Lowfield Close, Bradford – who played football for Luton and Bradford City – pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.

Craig Ward, 26, of Lindale Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to robbery.

Kirsty Emanuel, 28, denied possessing criminal property.

All three are due to appear at Hull Crown Court on November 25.