Scratchcard win means young mum can buy a house

A single mother about to move into her first rented flat is now planning to buy a house, after winning £250,000 on a £2 lottery scratchcard.

Lizzie Harris, 22, from Greater Manchester, bought the card from a shop in Brinnington, Stockport, last Saturday and scratched it off outside. She couldn't believe what she saw.

"I went inside the shop and the shopkeeper called up to see what to do," she tells the Manchester Evening News.

"I just kept asking if it was a joke. I couldn't believe it. The most I've ever won is £100 so this is an absolute dream come true. I just cried."

Lizzie, who worked as a technical facilities manager, has lived with her mother all her life, but was planning to move out with her four-month-old son. Now, she says, that won't be to a rented flat; instead she plans to buy a house opposite her mum's.

"I was worrying about providing for my baby, but now I can get him whatever he wants," she says.

"It's every parent's dream to be able to financially provide for their kids and now I'm able to do just that. There even may be a few pounds left over for me too!"

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Most people say that they'd need at least £5 million to retire, but smaller wins can be life-changing too.

In 2000, a man from Southend-on-Sea won £250,000 on the National Lottery after a period of homelessness: he'd been living in his car before saving up enough money to rent a bedsit. The win meant he could pay his debts and buy a house and new car.

Previous winner Michael Carroll has warned last week's record-breaking winners David and Carol Martin that they were likely to face scroungers and even kidnappers. He even suggested they should emigrate.

But Ms Harris says she has no plans to leave Stockport, and says she's sure the local community will be supportive.

"When people find out they won't be spiteful, they will just be happy that it's one of us that it's happened to," she says.