Mum's £12 million lottery 'winning ticket' thrown away in devastating mix-up
A UK mum is currently waiting in limbo after what she believes to be a winning lottery ticket was chucked away in a devastating mix-up.
Last month, Kath Main learned that a £12 million jackpot was yet to be claimed – and the winning numbers matched hers.
Always using the same set of numbers every time - 8,10, 26, 30, 35, and 42, which correspond to key dates relating to her and husband Marcus - the mum-of-two was convinced the mega windfall was hers.
However, when her mother took the ticket to be checked at a local shop in her home of Abercynon, South Wales, she was told it was not a winner.
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Recalling the moment she discovered the ticket had been binned, the 46-year-old told The Sun: "I saw there was an unclaimed lottery ticket and checked the numbers and realised they were mine. I rang my mother and said, 'You did put the lottery on?' and she said 'Yeah'.
"I said, 'Well we’ve won the lottery,' and she said, 'I checked and there was no winners'. I said 'No, it’s a winner, we’ve won'. She said 'How much?’ and I said, £12million'. She said 'It can’t be, the ticket’s in the bin'."
Kath's mum Fiona explained that she'd decided to bin the tickets after the shop owner had told her that neither of them were winners.
"He told me, 'There are no winners, do you want them back?' And I said if there are no winners then put them in the bin," she said.
The devastating turn of events means that Kath is now waiting on a decision from National Lottery operator Allwyn, which could to 30 days for them to decide. After explaining what had happened, Kath sent proof of purchase as well as doorbell footage from a local hair salon which shows her and her mum with the ticket at the time.
Should Kath's claim be approved, the mum will have to wait as long as five months to receive the cash.
"I’m the unluckiest person to win the lottery because I don’t have the money. I’m trying not to think about what I’d do with the money in case I don’t get it," she said of the situation.
Responding to Kath's story, a spokesperson for Allwyn told LADbible: "As operator of The National Lottery, we take our duty of care to players very seriously. We are currently investigating a claim relating to a potentially winning ticket. The National Lottery is the only major lottery in the world that allows players to claim a prize if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed.
"Our priority is making sure that every prize is correctly paid to the right person."
Meanwhile, lottery play has since been suspended in the shop while an investigation into Kath's case is conducted.
"I just feel sick all the time, it's the not knowing and waiting," she added.
Topics: National Lottery, UK News, Money
Brenna Cooper