Kath Main, 46, realised the June 6 Lotto jackpot had gone unclaimed and noticed the winning numbers matched the same combination she has used for 20 years – but her ticket has since vanished
A mum who is convinced she scooped a £12million lottery jackpot is enduring an agonising wait after claiming her winning ticket was accidentally binned by a shopkeeper. Kath Main, 46, realised the June 6 Lotto jackpot had remained unclaimed and spotted the winning numbers matched the identical combination she has played for 20 years.
However, the ticket had already vanished after her mother took it to a Londis shop in Abercynon, South Wales, to be verified – and was allegedly told it wasn’t a winner. National Lottery operator Allwyn is now investigating the claim.
Kath, a mother-of-two who works as a rugby club treasurer, said the uncertainty has left her struggling to cope. “I just feel sick all the time, it’s the not knowing and waiting,” she said.
She explained that her regular numbers are entered by her mother every week. Kath said she only realised there might be an issue after seeing reports about the unclaimed jackpot. “I saw there was an unclaimed lottery ticket and checked the numbers and realised they were mine,” she said.
“I rang my mother and said, ‘You did put the lottery on?’ and she said ‘Yeah’. I said, ‘Well we’ve won the lottery,’ and she said, ‘I checked and there was no winners’. I said ‘No, it’s a winner, we’ve won’.”
When Kath enquired about the ticket’s whereabouts, she was informed it had been thrown away. Café owner Fiona, who had taken the ticket for verification, revealed the machine hadn’t made its typical sound and the shop assistant told her no winning sum had shown up, reports The Sun.
“He told me, ‘There are no winners, do you want them back?’ And I said if there are no winners then put them in the bin,” she said. Kath subsequently learnt the rubbish had already been collected and the ticket couldn’t be retrieved.
She got in touch with Allwyn and supplied evidence including proof of purchase and doorbell footage from a neighbouring hair salon showing her mother’s visit to the shop. Kath wondered whether there might have been a problem with the machine.
“I said to Allwyn, ‘If it didn’t beep, was it a fault on the machine?'” she said. “They said it was a possibility but it’s highly unlikely. They said it could be human error.”
The Londis shop doesn’t have CCTV as it is currently being renovated. Owner Karan Kumar said: “The machine could have been playing up. Now they are doing an investigation. It would be amazing if she won.”
Lottery operations at the premises have been suspended while the investigation continues, with the terminal and scratchcards removed. Allwyn is expected to need up to 30 days to decide whether Kath can receive the prize.
She said: “I’m the unluckiest person to win the lottery because I don’t have the money. I’m trying not to think about what I’d do with the money in case I don’t get it.”
If the claim turns out to be successful, Kath disclosed that one of her dreams would be to journey to New Zealand for the Lions rugby tour in 2029. Fiona clarified that if the claim were to be unsuccessful, the funds would ultimately go towards charitable endeavours.
Allwyn confirmed they are looking into the issue, stating it was “the only major lottery that allows players to claim a prize if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed”.