The South Wales Mum Who May Hold £12,000,000 Ticket.
A mum-of-two from South Wales could be the winner of a life-changing £12,000,000 lottery prize. Her mum had purchased the winning ticket for the June 6 draw, but it was not initially confirmed as a winner at the Londis shop in Abercynon. However, when Kath saw that the prize was unclaimed, she checked the numbers and realised they matched hers.
Kath's mum had put the lottery on and had checked the numbers at the shop, only to be told that there was no winner. But when Kath rang her mum, she discovered the truth. 'I saw there was an unclaimed lottery ticket and checked the numbers and realised they were mine,' Kath said. 'I rang my mother and said, "You did put the lottery on?" and she said "Yeah".
When Kath told her mum that there was a winner, she was initially sceptical. 'You did put the lottery on?' Kath asked. 'Yeah,' her mum replied. 'Well we've won the lottery,' Kath said. Her mum responded with shock: 'I checked and there was no winners.' Kath reassured her: 'No, it's a winner, we've won.' When her mum asked how much, Kath replied: '£12million.'
However, there is a twist. The ticket was initially thrown away, as the machine did not beep and the shop owner told Kath's mum that nothing came up on the screen. By the time the pair realised what happened, the bin day had passed. Lottery operator Allwyn has launched an investigation into the mystery, but it could take up to 30 days for a decision on whether Kath is the rightful winner.
Kath has provided proof of purchase and doorbell footage showing her mum at the time the ticket was made. She is waiting anxiously for the outcome, saying: 'I just feel sick all the time, it's the not knowing and waiting.' The shop owner, Karan Kumar, has expressed his support for Kath, saying: 'The machine could have been playing up. Now they are doing an investigation. It would be amazing if she won.'
Meanwhile, Allwyn is taking its duty of care to players very seriously. The company has stated that it will investigate the claim thoroughly and ensure that every prize is correctly paid to the right person. The National Lottery is unique in allowing players to claim prizes if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed.
