Greenock Man Finds Out About Lotto Jackpot Win At Work

A man from Greenock in Inverclyde has revealed that he thought his colleagues were playing a joke on him after he found out at work that he had won a share of the giant £8.7 million Lotto jackpot in last Saturday’s draw. James Couper, a ferry port assistant, bought a Lucky Dip ahead of the game and was one of two players to match all six main numbers.

The numbers drawn were 5, 21, 23, 34, 43 and 45, with Bonus Ball 20, and in total there were over 1.4 million ticket holders who snapped up prizes. Couper did not know straight away that he had been the luckiest of all the players, winning £4.3 million, and admits it came as quite a shock when he realised his good fortune during his lunch break.

“I found out at work. I nearly passed out,” he told National Lottery officials. “I just thought they were just kidding me on, that they’d seen my ticket and had written it down. I was waiting for someone to go nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, but it was real and I’ve been in a bubble ever since.”

Couper says he looked after the ticket ‘like it was a newborn’, until his win was confirmed, adding: “I protected that ticket with my life. I hid it away in my son’s old toy box at the back of a cupboard. I’d be sitting in the house and I’d just have to check it was still there – numerous times a day.”

Couper is not yet sure how he will spend his money, but has set his sights on a new house and a motorbike, while he also plans to go on a family trip to Disney World.

There will be another chance for Lotto players to grab a huge jackpot tomorrow evening, when the top prize will stand at £5.6 million. If you’d like to emulate Couper’s success and land a seven-figure sum, you can buy tickets by visiting an authorised retailer or playing online. Good luck!

Published: Friday 3rd February 2017

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