BETFRED will pay out £20,000 after an embarrassing gaffe at the Oscars when the wrong film was announced for a top award.

Romantic musical La La Land landed the best picture honour in Los Angeles – only for red-faced officials to admit they got it wrong.

Instead the winner was  Moonlight, with the mistake being discovered while La La Land producers were in the middle of their acceptance speeches.

But Betfred, which has its head office in Birchwood, will be paying out to punters who backed La La Land.

Boss Fred Done said: "I thought it was all part of the show. You couldn't make it up.

"I felt for the film buffs who are Betfred customers who backed La La Land, which was the odds on favourite.

"I'm in a generous mood and in what will be music to the ears of La La fans they will be getting paid out, as well as those who were on Moonlight."