Hartlepool United fans must have thought they had won the Lottery when their team reached Cardiff on Tuesday, but one family of lifelong Pools supporters really did.

Myra Hart, 79, son Bill, 53, daughter Moira Massey, 56, and her husband, Jimmy, 55, won the Lotto jackpot of £1,258,381.

The win is the latest for the town, which is rapidly establishing itself as the region's luckiest.

Seventeen shop workers from Hartlepool shared a £1.5m Lottery windfall in December, only a few months after 71-year-old Margaret Whittingham and her son, Paul, won almost £120,000.

The latest family fortune came less than 24 hours after United beat Tranmere Rovers on penalties to secure their place in the League One play-off final.

The family were presented with their winnings yesterday at the club's Victoria Park ground, and will celebrate by going to watch their side play Sheffield Wednesday in the promotion final a week tomorrow.

Hartlepool fan Bill said one of their first purchases would be a trip to Wales to cheer on their team.

He said: "We are going to watch the play-off final in Cardiff, which we couldn't have done before this win.

"Now we might even hire a private jet to fly down. It is a wonderful feeling to be in this situation, I hope some of our luck rubs off on the team."