By PAT GILL BOLTON

MUM in a million Susan Sutton, who had breast cancer yet was "always happy and never had a sad face", is the winner of our Mothers' Day contest, organised with Marks and Spencer Gemini, Warrington.

We asked readers to tell us how special their mums were and Susan's son, 11 years old Joshua Sutton, wrote : "I love my mum with all my heart. To me, my mum is the best mum in the whole wide world. "

Susan had breast cancer a year ago, but is now back to normal.

Joshua's letter won his mum a Mothers' Day hamper, filled with four different boxes of chocolates and a hand-decorated sponge cake, a luxury bouquet of flowers, a bottle of champagne, a make-over from a specially trained beauty assistant in the beauty hall at Marks and Spencer Gemini and a selection of beauty products.

Susan, of Great Sankey, was delighted to win, but very surprised. "I'm gobsmacked", she said.

She lives with her partner, Jason Thomas, and also has a daughter, Jessica Thomas, aged six.

The two runners up in our contest were both mothers nominated for their ability to triumph over adversity.

Kath Dearden of Gordon Avenue, Woolston, also had breast cancer but insisted on being allowed home from hospital only two days after having surgery so that she could spend Christmas day with her family. Her daughter, Janet Woods, of Hertford Close, Woolston, wrote : "Mum was very weak and unable to move about much, but she made it a wonderful Christmas for her children and grandchildren." Kath, happily, has now returned to her part time job, and still helps to look after her family.

Margaret Logan of Watkin Street, Warrington, is currently battling with lung cancer. Her daughter, Mrs J M MacLean, of Dunmow Road, Thelwall, wrote : "She has been a brilliant mum. Nothing was ever too much trouble. She has helped with childcare with five grandchildren. The past six months have been a real ordeal. We wish there was something we could do to let her know how much we care and to show her how strong she has been. She has given us so much."

Both mothers won chocolates, cake and champagne.