ONE of Britain’s biggest bookies paid out more than £100,000 yesterday to punters who backed billionaire Donald Trump as the US Republican Party’s presidential candidate.

Paddy Power prematurely issued returns on 1,000 bets after the divisive property magnate extended his lead, winning seven of 11 US states holding primaries on “Super Tuesday.”

One politically savvy punter scooped £16,400 last June after placing a £400 bet at 40/1 when the then-outsider Mr Trump launched his campaign.

A spokesperson said: “Since 1988 the candidate to clean up on Super Tuesday has always gone on to win their party’s nomination.

“Good news for our punters, if you backed The Donald, come and get your cash — we’re paying out. Bad news for the world, this sh*t just got real.”

Paddy Power says it already stands to lose £1 million if he becomes president, but the figure could double or triple by the time of November’s election.

Hillary Clinton also extended her lead over left-wing rival Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race.

But Mr Sanders is more popular among Democrats in Britain, according to the provisional results from the party’s global primary.

Polling stations have been set up in London, Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge.

And Mr Sanders topped the poll in all four centres to beat Ms Clinton by 785 to 402.

London organiser Eric Lee said: “Americans living abroad are far more likely to welcome ideas like single-payer health care or tuition-free higher education, and are not scared by Sanders’s use of the words ‘democratic socialist’.”