A LAKESIDE woman found her perfect partner in the heat of the Sahara desert after winning a regional radio competition.

Karen Pritchard, 31, of Kingsley Avenue, and Dave Monkton, 32, from Cradley Heath, were separate winners of a week-long Heart FM breakfast show competition and each won a holiday for two to Tunisia.

When the 10 winners took the train together to the airport, Karen was immediately taken with Dave.

She said: "The first thing I noticed was his continual laughter and after that I couldn't think of anything else."

After a night out in Gatwick and the long journey to Tunisia, the couple succumbed to their mutual attraction on an organised trip to the Sahara.

Dave and his travelling companion, a work colleague, and Karen and her brother were the only four to take up the offer of the trip.

Since they arrived back in England, Karen and Dave have spent as much time together as possible.

Dave said: "It's been a couple of months since we got home and the relationship is really strong. I can see it lasting for a long time."

Karen said: "Dave is completely genuine and very open. He is a wonderful man and I can safely say we are going to go far.

"Now all we have to do is get Heart FM to pay for the honeymoon!"