Lucky grandad scoops up £10k per month winnings on just his THIRD attempt at picking his own National Lottery numbers

The lucky punter matched five numbers to claim his prize, describing the experience as "surreal".

Rather than relying on a Lucky Dip selection, he opted to pick his own random combination of numbers for the ticket, which he bought in-store.

The strategy paid off remarkably quickly, with the win coming on just his third attempt using self-selected numbers.

He said: "I woke up to check the ticket the day after I won, just to double check I wasn't dreaming."

The windfall will enable him to scale back his working commitments and dedicate more time to his loved ones.

Treating his grandchild is also high on his list of priorities.

Andy Carter, senior winners' advisor at Allwyn, which operates the National Lottery, praised the fortunate timing of the win.

He said: "What a fantastic story, and great timing for our new grandparent, who I bet can't wait to spoil his new grandchild rotten, and what's more, he's earned his reduced working hours and the chance to spend more time with the family."

This comes as another lucky winner also scooped up a mega jackpot.

A sign-making business owner from Exeter became a millionaire after selecting a scratchcard at random from his neighbourhood shop.

Lee Dart, 55, spent £5 on a festive National Lottery scratchcard during a visit to his local store, employing his usual strategy of choosing completely randomly.

The approach paid off spectacularly when he scratched the card immediately in the shop and realised within moments that he had secured a life-changing prize.

"I couldn't believe it, I must have checked it 20 times," Mr Dart said.

"You never expect it to happen to you - especially that close to Christmas. It's been the best Christmas present!"