Urgent appeal as £1m Lotto ticket bought in Cheshire goes unclaimed

A winning lottery ticket worth £1 million remains unclaimed, and the lucky winner may not even realise it.

The National Lottery is urging anyone who bought a Lotto ticket in Cheshire East for the Saturday, July 4 draw to check their tickets.

The prize was won with the code AQUA 0049 1681 in the Guaranteed Millionaire Raffle.

Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, said: “This is an incredible win for one lucky Lotto player, and we want nothing more than to reunite them with their life-changing win.

“Someone out there is a millionaire, and they have no idea that they are sitting on this life-changing sum of money – just imagine what you’d do with that amount in your bank account.

“We are urging Lotto players to check their tickets to see if they are our missing millionaire.”

Mr Carter said the winner may not be from the area, highlighting the importance of spreading the word to friends and family.

He said: “Were you in East Cheshire in the run-up to the Lotto draw on 4 July?

“Our mystery winner may not even live locally and could have picked up their ticket while enjoying the warm weather in the area.

“We’d love to see this prize reach its rightful owner, so please check your tickets, ask friends and family to do the same, and have one last look in those pockets and drawers.

“You never know, it could be you.”

The ticket-holder has until December 31, 2026, to claim the prize.

If someone believes they have a valid claim but no longer has the physical ticket, they can still contact Allwyn in writing within 30 days of the draw.

The missing millionaire is one of 14 created in the July 4 draw, including 10 winners in the Guaranteed Millionaire Raffle.

Under the rules, National Lottery players have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim their prize.

Anyone who believes they may be the winner should call the National Lottery Line on 0333 234 5050.