A college student and a mum of three won the first two brand new iPad Air tablets, each worth about £340, in a joint O2 mobile phone store and The Shires Shopping Centre Christmas competition.

People of all ages queued in The Shires in Trowbridge on Wednesday to try their luck using a crane grabber vending machine to capture a toy marked with The Shires badges to win one of the iPads.

The first week's prize was unclaimed, resulting in a rollover this week when the first success went to delighted student Charlotte Haynes, 17, from Holt, who celebrated with friends Abigail Neave and Nathan Wreyford.

Miss Haynes said she planned to give the prize to her 13-year-old brother as a Christmas present.

“He wanted an iPad for Christmas but mum couldn’t afford one so I’m going to give it to him,” said the former pupil at St Lawrence School, who studies public services at Filton College in Bristol.

The second winner was Bradford on Avon mum Emily Haynes, who is not related to Charlotte. She was out shopping with her husband Meric at the time and she plans to let her children Freya, five, Eleanor, two, and 11-month-old Evangeline share it for Christmas.

The Shires manager Sarah-Louise Moore and O2 store manager Rob Paterson were both pleased the two prizes were won in the second week after the first week’s disappointment and said they couldn’t believe the coincidence that both winners had the same surname.

They said they are both looking forward to the next two Wednesdays (December 10 and December 17) when two more iPad Airs are up for grabs - one each week.