ACCOUNTANCY assistant Wayne Kelly has proven he has a head for words as well as figures as he hits the Top 40 in the official Scrabble league.

Wayne, who works for Warrington Borough Council, began playing Scrabble seriously in 1995 after joining Warrington Scrabble Club at Bold Street Methodist Church. He now runs the club.

The wordsmith entered his first competitive Scrabble tournament in 1997, the same year he joined the game's official body, the Association of British Scrabble Players (ABSP).

He has now played more than 60 tournaments and has won a whole host of prizes, from wine glasses and weekend breaks to money and trophies.

Wayne said: "My best win came last month, in Durham, where I won eight out of 10 games and scooped £70 and a set of Edinburgh Crystal wine glasses."

The Scrabble hero is soon to face his ultimate challenge at a tournament in Exeter, where his skills will be pitted against players in the top division.

For the moment, Wayne is concentrating on his new-found stardom as he, alongside three other Scrabblers, become the focus of a television documentary.

The programme will follow the players as they go about their daily lives, as well as during the intense pressure of tournaments.

Wayne said: "Scrabble is far more popular than people realise and highly-addictive once you start playing.

"Even some stars, like Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams, have declared their love of the game.

"What attracts me to the game is the combination of word power, strategy and, believe it or not, mathematical thinking that is needed to play the game really well. I just hope that at my next tournament, the only blanks are on my rack, and not in my mind!"