Simon Lloyd won the £82,840 Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid and £20,000 cash courtesy of online competition firm BOTB just days after celebrating his 50th birthday.

The Ballyclare man, who works as a project manager for an energy company, was 'stunned' when BOTB presenter Christian Williams knocked on his door to reveal he had won the company’s latest 'Dream Car Competition'.

He said: “I thought it was the postman!.. What a delivery! I need to compose myself – I’m absolutely blown away.

“You always daydream about these sorts of competitions when you enter them, but then you forget about it. To actually win – it’s surreal.”

Simon added: “I’ve always loved the Touareg – it looks classy,” he said. “This is going to take my daily commute to a whole new level. I can’t believe there’s one here with my name on it.”

Simon admitted he’s considering the cash alternative. “I would love to take the car. It ticks all the boxes, but the money will provide so many opportunities for me and my family,” he said.

“I have twin girls who are heading to university in September, so I’ll be able to put some money aside for them. They’ve recently passed their driving tests too, so I’ll be able to get them a runaround.

“It would also be nice to use some on a holiday, and hopefully there’ll be enough left over to get a cool car for myself.”

After revealing the car, the BOTB team opened the boot to reveal £20,000 in cash. “This is life-changing,” Simon said. “I think I’m going to need a strong cup of tea after this!”

Presenter Christian said: “Simon was such a brilliant winner – genuinely shocked and such a lovely guy. And with his birthday just over the weekend, the timing couldn’t have been better. What a present!

“The Touareg R is an awesome bit of kit and one of the nicest places you can sit behind the wheel.”

Co-presenter Katie Knight, who joined Christian on the surprise reveal, added: “You could see just how much the surprise meant to Simon. It’s one of those moments that reminds you why we love doing this – seeing people’s dreams come true.”

Simon added: “The whole thing has been a fantastic experience. I keep thinking to myself, ‘Did that really happen?’ Opening my door to BOTB and seeing the car was some birthday present.”