Comedian Ed Byrne dived into a yellow zorb to draw the winning ticket for the St Clare Hospice Spring Raffle, which raised a record-breaking £32,251.

The charity provides specialist care for people with life-limiting illnesses in West Essex and East Herts and costs £2.8m a year to run.

Submerged in more than 32,000 tickets, the Irish funnyman pulled Vera Morley’s name from the giant inflatable as St Clare volunteers,

*Fantastic Ford First Prize thanks to Gates of Harlow.

staff, patients & guests gathered in the Hospice courtyard to watch.

Mrs Morley, from Old Harlow, won the keys to a brand new Ford Studio KA thanks to the Hospice hook-up with local Ford dealership Gates of Harlow.

2nd prize of £1,500 cash went to Vera Eley, from Harlow, while the 3rd prize of £1,000 of holiday vouchers was won by Penny Hampson, one of the Specialist Palliative Care Nurses at the Hospice.

Ed, who lives with his family in Henham, said he was delighted to be invited to draw the Spring Raffle in support of his local Hospice.

St Clare director of fundraising and marketing Elizabeth Palfreman said: “It was great to have Ed here for the draw – he was such a good sport agreeing to get into the zorb to draw the winning ticket much to the delight of everyone who gathered to watch."

“We would like to say a huge congratulations to all 3 lucky winners and a big thank you to every single person who bought a ticket to help make this year’s Spring Raffle our most successful ever!”

For more information on St Clare Hospice, check out their Trumpet Community Page.