The biggest "fail" EVER?

I'm the Euro lottery millionaire: Pensioner claims she won jackpot - but her husband binned £113m ticket

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:48 PM on 19th October 2010

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A pensioner claims that she is the winner of the Euromillions jackpot - but that her husband binned the winning £113million ticket.

The elderly woman, from Coventry, Warwickshire, where the winning ticket is rumoured to have been bought, said her husband had taken the ticket off her for safekeeping - and then lost it.

And she is naturally furious with him for throwing away their chance of scooping Britain's biggest ever lottery jackpot.

The woman, who is in her 70s and has not been named to protect her safety, said she always notes down the lottery numbers she has played as her husband has a habit of losing tickets.

Centre of attention: Did the mystery pensioner buy her ticket in this supermarket?

She said: 'I was so angry with him when he told me he didn't have the ticket.

'I checked my notepad where I write down my lottery numbers every week after I read in the paper that the winning ticket was bought in Coventry.

'I couldn't believe it when my numbers matched the winning ones. I told my husband to get the ticket out and double check. That's when he told me he had binned it.'

The couple, who are both retired and have been married for more than 50 years, would be raking in £8,000 a day in interest if they had banked the mind-boggling jackpot.

But thanks to her absent-minded husband, the couple are still scraping by on their state pension.

The couple, who have been married for more than 50 years, would be raking in £8,000 a day in interest if they had banked the jackpot.

They claim to have turned their home, in the south of the city, upside down in their frantic hunt for the ticket but fear it is lost forever.

The woman added: 'We have searched every inch of the house. I've even checked his pockets - but we can't find it anywhere.

'I took my notepad down to the newsagent and he said "My God, you're the winner!" But I said "I'm not - the ticket's been binned!"

'I was so angry at first. My husband loses everything I give him. I've told him he's never looking after one of my lottery tickets again.

'There's no point being angry though really. What's done is done. I couldn't be angry with him now. My whole life is taken up with him.'

The couple's daughter-in-law added: 'My mother-in-law plays the lottery every week and always checks her numbers on her pad. She is certain she had the winning ticket.'

Camelot organisers are investigating the woman's claim. Spokesman Simon Horne said today: 'There's an ability for us to investigate lost and stolen tickets under our procedures.'

It was reported yesterday that this would be in the West Midlands, with internet forums and blogs claiming that it was the Spar store in Daventry Road, Coventry.

Camelot said the shop that sold the winning ticket would not have been informed 'as this could compromise the anonymity of the winner'.

Enlarge Lucky store? The location of the Spar supermarket in Coventry

But inside the store, Jennifer Lawlor said: 'It's really exciting and it'll definitely put us on the map if it was bought here.

'I've been trying to think whether there are any regular shoppers I haven't seen in a week or so.'

The winner beat odds of more than 76million to one to pick the numbers 9, 30, 35, 39, 46, with lucky stars 6 and 8 and scoop the £113,019,926 prize.

They have 180 days to claim the money which makes them the 589th richest person in the country - wealthier than Robbie Williams, David Bowie or Rod Stewart.

If it is not claimed the cash will go towards the lottery's good causes fund, where the prize's daily interest of £8,500 is currently accumulating.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1321830/Pensioner-claims-won-Euromillions-lottery-jackpot-husband-binned-ticket.html#ixzz12o0KA1Cd