A lucky Lotto key ring opened the door to a champagne lifestyle for a young couple who scooped a £3 m jackpot, they revealed today.
Deborah Purvis, from Newcastle, plans to buy a new home with fianc of five years Jason White and their two children after using the key ring to select her numbers on Saturday. The £1 trinket comes up with six numbers when it is shaken. Deborah had been using it for every draw since the National Lottery began.
Delighted Deborah, 36, rushed to tell the good news to Jason, 28, and her parents Valerie and Alan when she saw the numbers come up, after first double-checking them on Teletext. ''At first we were all in shock and my mum burst into tears, but after it had sunk in a little bit we cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. It's such an amazing feeling,'' she said. Jason quit his job as an electrical engineer first thing on Monday morning.
A Newcastle United fan, he now plans to pay for an executive box at St James's Park so that he can watch his beloved Magpies every time they play at home.
The couple also pledged to pay for a dream holiday for Deborah's parents to visit an elderly aunt who emigrated from Britain 50 years ago.
The win means they can now buy a new house for themselves and sons Cameron, three, and five-month-old Dylan - but they would not say if they would bring forward marriage plans.
Jason also has his heart set on a brand new Audi TT and the couple plan a relaxing break in Cyprus.
He said: ''Things that we thought were out of reach we can now afford. It is just what we need at the moment.''
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article