Woman finds €139,025 winning lottery ticket in her handbag

Handbags often hold a surprising number of objects, and on many occasions the clutter build-up can be significant.

A woman in Ireland decided it was time to clean hers out, and her efforts paid off handsomely.

Among the myriad items was a two-week old winning lottery ticket worth roughly €139,025 (£118,275).

The woman told lottery office reporters: "My handbag was bulging and I decided to clear the load yesterday.

"There were a few Lotto tickets in there. I'd just seen the news that the big jackpot was won... but I thought, sure you never know, there might be a few quid on these."

She scanned them at an area store, and was shocked when instructed to contact the National Lottery.

The woman picked up her big prize on Monday.