A PRESTON man is in the taxi drivers' syndicate that hit the lottery jackpot this week.

Joe Kenyon, 54, scooped £372,000, when he and four colleagues at the taxi firm picked up their biggest fare ever -- £1,859,900 in Saturday's Lotto draw!

But Joe, who was born in Preston and worked at Leyland DAF as a supervisor for 30 years, says he plans to carry on driving taxis because he loves the job.

"The money won't make me happy because I am already happy," said Joe. "It will just make me happier."

"I'll keep on driving taxis. In fact I was in driving this morning. I love my job. The best thing about it is meeting people and talking to them."

PNE fan Joe was in the middle of his evening shift at Clayton and Whittle Taxis, near Chorley, on Saturday, August 24, when he received a radio message asking him to call the office.

He said: "I pulled into the local services and I rang my boss Steve. He told me we had won. I couldn't believe it, I finished my shift and headed straight back to the office to call my wife.

"The first feeling is one of elation, then that goes. You are not on a permanent high. But you realise you do not have any more financial worries. That is nice."

Joe, who is married to Anne Patricia, 63, also had to call step-son Mark, 32, who is on holiday in Spain.

"He didn't believe me and thought I was winding him up," said Joe.

"He then realised I was telling the truth and started laughing and I could hear his girlfriend screaming in the background."

The drivers started the syndicate 12 months ago and chose the numbers by drawing them out of an office cup.

Joe's colleagues, firm owner Steve Humber, who has three daughters, father-of-six Chris Brenneis and another two colleagues who did not want publicity, all worked on the day shift at the firm.

But the five who worked on the night shift unfortunately missed out.