National Lottery player who scooped £124k jackpot thought he had only won £10

Dimitris Kouimtsidis
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:41:30 +0000

A lorry driver from Wigan has landed a EuroMillions windfall worth £124,067 after mistakenly assuming his ticket had secured just £10.

Bernie Prescott, 63, initially thought he had won the modest sum when checking his numbers.

However, upon closer inspection, he discovered his prize was actually a six-figure amount.

The father-of-two verified the numbers alongside his wife Donna, 59, before contacting the National Lottery's claims line to confirm the unexpected fortune.

He said: "I honestly couldn't believe it when they said the amount.

"This sort of thing doesn't happen to people like us."

When Mr Prescott rang to claim his prize, the claims team asked where he had purchased the winning ticket – a question that left him stumped.

He explained: "With my shift pattern, I'm here, there and everywhere all over the country, so I'm often at motorway services and that's usually where I'd buy my lottery tickets.

"So, when the claims team asked me where I'd bought it, I didn't have the foggiest, so it took a little longer to go through."

The mystery was eventually solved when the 63-year-old recalled picking up the Lucky Dip ticket at his local Post Office during a rare day away from work.

The couple have already begun sharing their good fortune, distributing some of the winnings to their two children.

Their spending plans include a luxury Mediterranean cruise to destinations they have long dreamed of visiting, along with home improvements comprising a new kitchen and an extension to their property.

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Mr Prescott said: "Now, we're excited to start spending!

"We're planning to take a luxury cruise later in the year to some destinations we've spent our lives dreaming about."

His wife's 60th birthday falls next month and the couple intend to mark the milestone in style.

"Donna has a big birthday coming up next month, so we're looking forward to making that even more special, it'll certainly be one to remember!" Mr Prescott said.

Despite being a regular Lucky Dip player, he said he had never previously won more than £10 on the game.

When the couple shared news of their windfall with relatives, the reaction was one of scepticism.

"Even our family didn't believe us when we first told them and thought we were winding them up," he recalled.

Caroline Talbot, Winners' Advisor at Allwyn, which operates The National Lottery, said: "I couldn't be happier for Bernie and Donna. They're such a lovely couple and this win couldn't have happened to nicer people."