£33m Lotto jackpot winner sought in Worcester

Updated

National Lottery bosses have taken their hunt to find a £33 million jackpot winner to the streets of Worcester - and urged punters to "check down the side of sofas" for lost tickets.

Camelot's senior winners' adviser, Andy Carter, visited the city a day after the lottery operator confirmed that a ticket bought in the area matched all six balls in its record £66 million jackpot draw on January 9.

After posing for camera crews holding a cheque payable to "Mystery Millionaire" for £33,035,323, Mr Carter said: "We have got to the 14-day stage after the draw now, when we release the area.

"We want the people of Worcester to check their tickets.

"We want them to check down the side of sofas, in pockets, in gloves compartments, on shelves - just anything that can help them find the winning ticket."

Following up on a Camelot's spokesman's plea for people in Worcester to "double-check and triple-check" tickets, Mr Carter added: "It's a huge amount of money - the biggest Lotto jackpot ever - and actually it means you could do an awful lot of good with it.

"You could set your family up - not just your children but generations to come. If good causes are close to your heart, you can do that.

"We just need to reunite the winnings with their rightful owner."

Speaking outside The Hive in Worcester city centre, Mr Carter told reporters that the winning ticket-holder had 180 days to claim the massive sum - giving him or her a deadline of July 7.

Under the terms of its licence, Camelot has discretion to pay prizes in respect of stolen, lost or destroyed tickets if a player has submitted a claim in writing within 30 days of the relevant draw.

David and Carol Martin, both 54, from Hawick in the Scottish Borders, celebrated winning the other half of the jackpot amid a flurry of media attention last week.

A £63 million Euromillions jackpot went unclaimed in 2012 despite a Camelot appeal centred on the Stevenage and Hitchin area of Hertfordshire.

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