Mechanic drives away with £1m after despite winding up family and friends

Paul Wood who works at the luxury car maker’s Gaydon factory in Warwickshire said family and friends thought he was winding them up when he told them about the win as he has a reputation as “a bit of joker”.

Their news only sunk in when he and wife Ginny, who is a staff nurse at the University of Warwick Hospital, showed them the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle Prize ticket.

Mr Wood, aged 54, and from Coventry said the moment of realisation had been “a bit of a blur”, adding: “Ginny and I were on our way to my daughter’s house warming party.

“We stopped at the shops and I went in to get some sweets for my grandchildren.

“I’d forgotten to check my lottery tickets so I asked the lady behind the counter if she wouldn’t mind putting them into the machine.

“She said that I’d won something and that I should call Camelot. I looked at the ticket but I didn’t see the winning numbers so we checked the raffle code at the bottom of the ticket and then the rest is a bit of a blur.”

He and his wife then sat in their Ford Focus to make the call to the National Lottery, who confirmed the win.

Mrs Wood, 48, and her husband, of Coventry, said financial security for the family, including their four children and five grandchildren was now top priority, although a house extension, a holiday and a new car – possibly even an Aston Martin, are also on their wish list.

The National Lottery is on the hunt for 12 missing millionaires after 100 winners were drawn from a single EuroMillions draw.

So far 88 winners have come forward and claimed their prize but two weeks after the draw, which took place on July 26, 12 people still have yet to bank their £1m winnings.

If all 100 people do come forward it would be a new world record, which was set last year when 97 millionaires were made in one draw on the night of the Olympics opening ceremony.

A National Lottery spokesman said: “We urge every player to check their tickets as there are life changing prizes waiting to be claimed.

“The clock is now ticking for these ticket-holders and we want to get the prize into their bank account so they can start enjoying their win as soon as possible,” he added.