LOTTERY punters across the region were left fuming at the weekend after hundreds of ticket terminals broke down in the run-up to Saturday's rollover draw.

Almost 300 machines were out of order between 3pm and 7pm.

National Lottery operators Camelot blamed the fault on BT, which last night confirmed it was investigation.

A spokeswoman for Camelot said: "Some 283 machines were down across the North-East, with the problem affecting terminals in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Darlington.

"The problem was rectified by 7pm and we have reported it to BT."

One angry punter, from Darlington, said: "I made a point of going in early so as to be back in time for the England game, but I ended up not getting a ticket at all.

"It's the first time in months I've not put my special numbers on. Luckily, they didn't come up."

One of the affected newsagents said the problem was not simply a one-off blip. Ged Anderson, manager of the Day and Nite shop, in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, said the machine regularly went off when there was a rollover jackpot.

Speaking of the latest expensive failure, he said: "It caused us a lot of problems.

"As soon as people walked in and found the machine was down they walked out.

"We are about £400 short on what we usually make on a Saturday."