Madrid, Wednesday.

BELLS rang out in an eastern Pyrenees village when it won the

multi-million pound first prize in Spain's New Year's national lottery.

The 1500 population of Sort, whose name means luck in Catalan, shared

#45.2m, or #30,000 a head, when the number 08036 was drawn in Madrid.

Lottery shop owner Xavier Gabriel said: ''People just can't believe

it.

''The church bells have been ringing all morning and some people are

walking around in a daze and others are packing into the bars. One thing

is certain. I'm the most popular man in the village.''

The prize, known as El Nino to mark Kings' Day, the twelfth day of

Christmas when Spanish children receive presents, brought fortunes to

many villagers.

Twenty-eight people received #600,000 each, nearly 300 others won

#114,000, while hundreds won #20,000.