STAFF at Carlton Bingo in Dunfermline have hit the jackpot as it becomes Scotland's "largest employee-owned firm".

The branch at Fife Leisure Park has 30 workers and is part of the 10-venue chain that's going to be placed in the hands of its workforce.

In total, Carlton Bingo has 209 staff members and its four main shareholders decided to put shares into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), which will give workers a controlling stake in the business.

One of those shareholders, George Carter, explained: “It might sound like a cliché but we are very much like a family business here.

"The sale to an EOT fitted exactly with what we wanted.

"We have to wait a few years to realise our full value but we judged that to be a risk worth taking to preserve all that’s good about Carlton for our customers and our staff.

"A management buyout was a real possibility – our management team are hugely respected within the business – but that really only defers the problem of succession.

"By transferring the shareholding to an EOT, the future of Carlton Bingo is secure for our loyal staff and customers.”