Lotto jackpot claimed but unknown Preston £1m winner still sought

The National Lottery announced the news on social media site Twitter this afternoon but they are still hunting for a EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker million pound prize winner who bought their ticket in Preston but is yet to claim the cash.

The National Lottery Tweeted: “BREAKING NEWS: We’re pleased to announce that we’ve received a valid claim on the £33,035,323 jackpot prize from the Lotto draw on January 9!”

The lucky winner - who has not been named - has finally claimed their prize 19 days after the draw but National Lottery say the million pound winner from the draw on Tuesday, January 5 is yet to come forward.

So players in Preston are being urged to check and double-check their unique EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker code once again.

For every EuroMillions line played, UK players automatically receive a Millionaire Maker code printed on their ticket,

The winning code on 5 January was GXC726529 and the lucky ticket-holder has until Sunday 3 July, 2016 to claim their prize.

And a National Lottery spokesperson says they are desperate to find the secret millionaire and give them their winnings.

They said: “We’re desperate to find this mystery ticket-holder and unite them with their winnings – this amazing prize could really make a huge difference to somebody’s life.

“Being able to guarantee two UK millionaires every week with EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker is fantastic and we’re urging everyone who bought a EuroMillions ticket in this area to check their old tickets again or look anywhere a missing ticket could be hiding, so that this prize can turn someone into the newest member of the lottery millionaire club.

“Try checking in the pockets of clothing, in wallets, bags and down the back of the sofa. We have the champagne on ice and our fingers crossed that the lucky winner comes forward to claim their win.”

If no-one comes forward with the winning ticket before the prize claim deadline, then the prize money, plus all the interest it has generated, will go to help National Lottery-funded projects across the UK. The National Lottery changes the lives of individuals as well as communities – players raise, on average, over £34 million for National Lottery-funded projects every week.

Anyone who has any queries or who believes they have the winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery Line on: 0844 338 7551 or email: [email protected]