A TEESDALE farm worker who scooped £170,000 in last weekend's Lotto draw is planning to use the cash to top up his pension.

Phillip Williams, a 46-year-old bachelor who lives at Barnard Castle, discovered his good fortune when he returned home from the pub on Saturday night. Mr Williams, who works at nearby Streetside Farm, said, "I work quite long hours so my mum bought my tickets from Morrison's at Bishop Auckland as usual, and she checked the numbers. She waited up until after midnight to tell me the good news."

Mr Williams puts two lines on the national lottery each week, keeping the same numbers on one and choosing a lucky dip for the second. And it was the lucky dip that came up trumps for him, giving him £170,365 for matching five numbers and the bonus ball. He is taking the win in his stride and has some sensible plans for his windfall, including boosting his pension plan. But he has ideas on how he can spend some too.

"When I realised I had won I was surprisingly calm," said Mr Williams. "I don't think it's sunk in yet, but I am a very laid-back person.

"I think I'm going to sit on it for a while and let it all sink in first. I have quite a large, extended family all over the world so it will take some time to let them know about my good fortune. But good news travels fast! I'd love to go and visit my relatives in Australia, and this win means it is now possible," he added.

He also plans to treat his mother for putting on the winning ticket.

Mr Williams is a keen quoits player with Bowes WMC and even went out for a game on Sunday afternoon, although his luck ran out and he lost his match. However, he is obviously lucky when it counts, as he received mention in the D&S Times when he won a cruise through a prize draw at the club a couple of years ago.

"He is quite lucky," said his mother, who travelled to Liverpool with him to collect his Lotto winnings. "The family is always teasing him about his luck on domino cards, but this is his biggest win to date."

Mr Williams has been playing the lottery since it began, and definitely intends to continue. He took time out from yesterday's official celebrations at Morrison's to buy his ticket for tomorrow's draw.

* For anyone who thinks lightning might strike twice, Mr Williams' winning numbers were 8, 18, 24, 26, 38 and bonus ball 31