There's Still £5.5m Left Unclaimed From The National Lottery

It's easy to want to be a millionaire and it's easy to buy a lottery ticket, but it's very, very difficult to then win the lottery.

As such, it is almost unfathomable that seven winning tickets are currently lying about in jeans pockets and glove compartments across the UK - with the spoils unclaimed.

The prize money from the seven winning tickets totals more than £5.5 million, yet it could end up slipping through the fingers of the lucky buggers who bought the tickets if they don't act fast.

When you buy a winning lottery ticket, you are not allowed to claim your winnings 25 years later, once you're totally satisfied you've had enough of your tedious nine to five life. Rather, the National Lottery grants a more than adequate 180-day window for winners to step forward.

This window is edging ever closer to being slammed shut for one person who won £1 million on the 11 September EuroMillions draw. They have until 11 March to claim their prize, otherwise it will be irreversibly donated to one of the National Lottery's projects, which is admittedly preferable to the cash being incinerated, but still far from the ideal outcome.

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The ticket was bought in Cheshire East, so if you live around there and bought a EuroMillions ticket in September - or know somebody who might have - make sure you get scouring your houses sharpish.

The same applies to the people of Derby, as there is also a £1 million winning ticket there which can be claimed up until 24 March.

There are two winning Lotto tickets lying about, each worth a million smackers. One was bought in Birmingham prior to the 24 November draw last year. The numbers were 15, 27, 30, 32, 42, 43 Bonus 10... Any Brummie bells ringing out there?

The other was purchased in Manchester before 9 January and the magic numbers were 3, 17, 36, 42, 51, 57 and bonus ball numero 18.

There is another should-be-millionaire in our midst in West Oxfordshire, who matched the millionaire maker code on 29 January, which was XHRG26506. Yet, this millionaire doesn't seem keen on receiving their fortune, as the ticket is yet to be redeemed.

Further south, there's half a million quid up for grabs in Newham, London. The winner bought a Thunderball with numbers 4, 6, 11, 12, 16 and the Thunderball 1. So if you've got a Newham mate whose favourite numbers are 4, 6, 11, 12, 16 and 1, you should probably give them a call.

The last winner in Liverpool only has a meagre £53,622 to claim, so fair enough if they haven't got round to it yet. They matched five numbers plus one star on the 26 October EuroMillions draw.

If there's a chance you or someone you know may have one of the above seven tickets, make sure you investigate appropriately. You never know, you may end up not going to work tomorrow.

Topics: UK News, Lottery

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey