£58M LOTTO WINNERS’ TEARS OF JOY
Couple’s ticket torn in two by shop worker
LOTTO players Fred and Lesley Higgins scooped £58million – even though a shop worker tore up their winning ticket.
The lucky couple are now Scotland’s second biggest jackpot winners.
website to double-check the numbers. Sure enough, the first matched, then the second matched, match, match – we had them all.
“When Lesley woke I asked her to check and she misread the numbers, thinking we were £5.7million richer – I’d have been happy with that. But it was an amazing £57million.
“I felt really calm at that point – I think it was just sinking in – so I then called Camelot and explained what had happened.”
The torn ticket made processing the win tricky, with a security team sent out to the Scotmid Co-operative store where Fred bought it to check the CCTV footage.
Fred said: “I wasn’t ever concerned that we wouldn’t get the money as I knew it was an honest mistake.”
Shop assistant Sean, 18, spoke of his shock when he found out how much his customer had won. He said: “He gave me two tickets. The second one came through with a winning noise so I ripped it thinking it would be a tenner or £20.
“But when I came back to the machine it said it was in excess to what we could pay so I said he’d have to phone Camelot. But we were both clueless – we didn’t know how much he’d won. I don’t think I’ve ever paid out £50 or £100, never mind £57million.”
Cautious Fred kept hold of the ticket in an envelope in a filing cabinet at home. Lesley said: “I had written on the envelope, in red letters, ‘Money worries over!’”
Fred, 67, and Lesley, 57, were born and brought up in the Mearns and Angus area and will be 35 years married on August 20.
Now their celebrations will move up a notch as they have £57,975,367.70 to spend. Lesley said: “Normally I get a box of chocolates and a bunch of flowers in the morning.”
Fred added: “Maybe we can have two glasses of wine this year.”
The couple intend to travel the world, buy property and maybe see Bruce Springsteen in concert.
Fred said: “I wouldn’t mind going to India because Lesley’s always wanted to see the Taj Mahal. I’ve always fancied visiting Russia and even China. I’d like to see something different.”
Fred retired from his job as an administrator with Audi a year ago but Lesley worked as an account manager at the Montrose Port Authority – until she quit on Tuesday.
Fred was happy doing the housework at their fourbedroom home in Laurencekirk and listening to the other Boss (Springsteen). He joked: “I might get my new Hoover now.”
After Lesley handed in her notice, the couple raced out to buy a brand new white Audi A5 Cabriolet. Fred also fancies a BMW or a Jaguar. Daughter Lyndsey, 23, who lives and works in Glasgow will be “looked after” according to dad.
But the couple are still trying to take in the enormity of their fortune and will take a holiday to plan their future, which will include fulfilling their dream of a holiday home abroad.
Fred said: “I’ve got my eye on somewhere in France and Lesley seems to be looking at property in Barbados.”
A Camelot spokeswoman said: “It is essential that we ensure we are paying the rightful ticket-holder and in situations like this, it can take time for these investigations to be completed.
“We are so glad to be able to pay Fred and Lesley this amazing sum.”