A gold-plated reminder there is a mi££ionaire out there!

One lucky punter in Preston can afford SIX of them - with a few bob to spare - and doesn’t even know it.

Now the National Lottery is revving up its search for a mystery £1m ticket-holder whose number came up more than two months ago and still hasn’t claimed the prize.

The eye-catching Aston Martin Rapide S was rolled out in Preston yesterday as a gold-plated reminder that the hunt is still going on for the missing millionaire.

“This amazing prize could really make a huge difference to somebody’s life,” said a Lottery spokesman.

“We hope this brief glimpse of the millionaire lifestyle, in the form of our gold Aston Martin, will shift the search for Preston’s missing millionaire up a gear.

“We’re not taking our foot off the gas as we look to track down this winner and we’re hoping one lucky resident is indeed just about to join us on their own road to riches.”

Lottery operators Camelot say the missing ticket for the EuroMillions draw on January 5 was bought somewhere in Preston.

While it didn’t win the jackpot that Tuesday night, the £2 entry had a UK Millionaire Maker code number of GXC726529 which qualifies the holder to a seven-figure prize.

After more than two months of searching, the windfall is still waiting for its owner to claim it. And they only have until July 3 to claim it before the money is passed on to good causes.

“Try checking in the pockets of clothing, in wallets, bags and down the back of the sofa – someone out there is literally sitting on a fortune,” added the Lottery spokesperson. “We have the champagne on ice and our fingers crossed that the lucky winner comes forward to claim their winnings.”

After spending yesterday afternoon in Preston, the gold Aston Martin - prices start at almost £150,000 - was off to Huntingdonshire in search of another instant millionaire.

The National Lottery spokesman added: “We really hope to be able to reunite all of our millionaires with their winnings and hope people across the country will help and join the search by posting pictures and using: #roadtoriches when they see the gold Aston Martin passing through their town.

“This will hopefully encourage people to check missing tickets and ultimately lead to the winners being found.”

With all National Lottery draws, players have 180 days from the day of the draw to claim their prize if they have the winning ticket.

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]