Couple to buy a home and new knees after hitting Lotto jackpot

Malcolm and Bev Dixon, initially thought they had won £1,000 but, when Malcolm re-checked the couple’s ticket he realised it had an extra three noughts on the total.

The pair matched five main numbers and the bonus ball in the Lotto draw on Wednesday January 29.

Top of the shopping list now is two new knees for 50-year-old pub landlady Bev!

The couple, who have 13 grandchildren and currently live in rented accommodation, say a new house – something they never believed they would be able to afford – is also high on the priority list.

Malcolm, 43, said: “This win couldn’t have come at a better time.

"Bev is in constant pain with her knees so this will definitely be the first big spend.

"Your health is so important – the win will enable us to afford to give Bev a totally new lease of life.”

The couple, who celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary on Sunday, say they still feel stunned by the news.

“We have a million things going through our heads which we would like to buy but we just want to take our time. This win will mean we will never have any more money worries!”

Malcolm described the moment he realised the couple were £1m richer.

“I was taking my two dogs for a walk and I remembered I hadn’t checked my lottery tickets. I had bought two Lotto Lucky Dips for the draw – one each for my wife and myself.

"I checked the numbers on my phone and thought – amazing we have won £1,000!

“I immediately texted my wife and said, ‘you will never guess Bev, we’ve won £1,000!’ She was absolutely over the moon! I then thought I would just double-check this was right – I could not believe it!”

Describing the moment of realisation, Malcolm said, “It was only when I went to check for a second time that I saw all of the zeros!

"I was just in a state of shock.

"I immediately called Bev again and said, ‘I’ve got it wrong, we have in fact won £1m!’

She just thought I was joking and said, ‘no that can’t be right!’

"It was a surreal moment and one which I’ll never forget.”

Malcolm immediately called Camelot who confirmed the couple were in fact now millionaires!

Bev, who runs the Railway Tavern in Leigh, and Malcolm, who has been forced to stop work as a building engineer due to injury, say they will now be able to live the life they had always dreamed of. Bev also plans to stop working and retire early.

“We will finally be able to afford a house of our own and move closer to our three children and 13 grandchildren!” Malcolm said.

The couple bought their winning ticket from Shaz Mini Market in Westleigh Lane, Westleigh.

Their Lotto winning numbers were: 7, 40, 42, 47, 59 and the bonus ball was 58 .

Across the last 25 years, The National Lottery has had a transformational effect on the United Kingdom.

A staggering £40bn has been raised for Good Causes with 565,000 grants made across arts, sport, heritage and community.

That’s the equivalent of 200 life-changing projects in every UK postcode district.

Players have banked a whopping £73bn in prizes and a staggering 5,500 millionaires have been made.

For more information on National Lottery funding please visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk