Couple rescue £1m lottery ticket from the bin

Former soldier Geordie and wife Betty Rhodick, from Lochgilphead, Argyllshire, Scotland, June 9, 2015, celebrating winning Â£1m on the lottery after wife Betty found their winning ticket in the bin. See SWNS story SWLOTTO; A couple have become millionaires after rescuing a winning lottery ticket - from a BIN. Former soldier Geordie Rhodick, 71, threw his Euromillions ticket in the waste after a quick check of his numbers revealed he had won nothing in the main draw. But his wife Betty, 63, fished it out and took it to their local shop - to be told they had struck it lucky in the Millionaire Maker raffle. After discovering he had landed a seven-figure windfall, the army veteran had no thoughts of immediately spending his fortune.

Like so many of us have done before, pensioner Geordie Rhodick threw his lottery ticket in the bin after discovering he'd won nothing on the main Euromillions draw.

Thankfully his wife Betty wanted to double-check the ticket, and rooted the ticket out of the recycling and took it to her local shop.

"When the girl [behind the counter] put the ticket through the machine, she said 'oh, I can't pay this out here. It's a substantial win'," she told the Express and Journal.

"The manager checked the numbers and I could see him starting to shake. He said I needed to come up the back and have a seat."

That was when she discovered they had won £1 million in the Millionaire Maker raffle.

How to boost your chances of winning big

"I'll still be a crabbit old git"

Despite becoming an instant millionaire, 71-year-old Geordie joked he's unlikely to change much.

"I will still be a crabbit old git."

The couple do plan to buy a new house, however, and will also set aside £25,000 each for their children.

"We have always got by. It has been a struggle bringing the kids up, but they never wanted for anything. We sacrificed a lot to bring them up," said Geordie.

"The kids are getting £25,000 each and we will buy a house, which we will put in the names of our grandchildren, so that when we die, they can sell it and share the money."