People's Postcode Lottery: Yorkshire father wins £50,000 - only to find his son won three times more

James Corcoran watched on as his father opened an envelope revealing he had won £50,000 in the prize draw - before opening an envelope of his own and revealing a cheque for £150,000.

The hairdresser, from Leeds, kept playing using his parents postcode after he moved out two years ago - saying he couldn’t cope if they won and he didn’t.

The 34-year-old said: “I’m buzzing. I don’t live here anymore, but I didn’t want to cancel. Imagine how gutting it would have been for them to win that, and I would have had nowt. I didn’t want them winning and not me.”

A shocked Philip, 62, said: “Can I have that one? He stole my postcode and won more than I did. But he needs it more than I do.”

The family celebrated alongside 13 neighbours after their LS15 0HQ postcode came up in the draw. Every winning ticket was worth £50,000, but James and another player tripled their pots to £150,000 with three tickets and another doubled theirs to £100,000 with two.

James said he will spend the money on renovating his home - while also considering getting another pet to keep his sausage dogs Joyce and Jasper company.

He said: “I’m going to continue to renovate my house after doing up my salon - The Haus Of JC Hair - in a garden room. I’ve already done the bathroom.

“I going to open a bottle of champagne and I’ll take my sausage dogs to go and get a little brother or sister.”

He added: “I just started playing one day and stuck with it. Once you’ve started you don’t want to cancel, do you? I’m going to keep playing here, but I’ll also sign up at my new address.”

Dad-of-two Philip, who only retired as a street lighting technician last month, said his winnings will go on home improvements – and holidays.

He said: “It’s absolutely marvellous. That’s my Euros for my holiday. You can’t beat that, can you? We’ve got a few holidays booked. This will also go to doing up some of the house.

“We’re going to Zante with Rachel, our daughter, and the kids and then in September we’re going back to Zante again and then in November we’re going to Marrakech. Can’t take it with you.”

Then he pointed to a corner of the garden near his garage and said: “I’ll have a new bar there next year.”

Mother Lorraine, 60, was stunned when her son and husband both bagged windfalls. The grandmother said: “It’s absolutely fabulous, I can’t believe it. James has brought champagne down, so we’ll have a big party this afternoon most probably.”

And she said it has come in time to celebrate her and Philip’s Ruby wedding anniversary in the summer with yet another holiday.

She added: “We’re already booked to go to Mexico in July for our 40th wedding anniversary.”