Mum claims £12m lottery win nightmare after ticket binned

Kath Main, 46, believes she won the June 6 Lotto jackpot but claims the winning ticket was thrown away by a shopkeeper in Abercynon, South Wales

A mother who believes she secured a £12million lottery jackpot is enduring an excruciating wait after alleging her winning ticket was inadvertently discarded by a shopkeeper.

Kath Main, 46, discovered the June 6 Lotto jackpot had remained unclaimed and recognised the winning numbers corresponded with the identical combination she has played for 20 years.

However, the ticket had already vanished after her mother took it to a Londis store in Abercynon, South Wales, to be verified – and was purportedly informed it was not a winner.

The National Lottery operator Allwyn is now examining the allegation.

Kath, a mother-of-two who serves as a rugby club treasurer, said the uncertainty has left her struggling to manage.

“I just feel sick all the time, it’s the not knowing and waiting,” she said.

She clarified that her longstanding numbers are submitted by her mother each week.

Kath said she only became aware there might be an issue after encountering reports about the missing jackpot.

“I saw there was an unclaimed lottery ticket and checked the numbers and realised they were mine,” she said.

“I rang my mother and said, ‘You did put the lottery on?’ and she said ‘Yeah’.

“I said, ‘Well we’ve won the lottery,’ and she said, ‘I checked and there was no winners’. I said ‘No, it’s a winner, we’ve won’.”

When Kath enquired about the ticket’s whereabouts, she was informed it had been thrown away. Café proprietor Fiona, who had accepted the ticket for verification, stated the machine failed to generate the customary alert and the shop assistant informed her no winning prize had been displayed, reports The Sun.

“He told me, ‘There are no winners, do you want them back?’ And I said if there are no winners then put them in the bin,” she said.

Kath subsequently learnt the rubbish had already been emptied and the ticket could not be retrieved.

She approached Allwyn and supplied evidence including proof of purchase and doorbell recordings from a neighbouring hair salon demonstrating her mother’s attendance at the shop.

Kath raised concerns about whether there might have been a problem with the machine.

“I said to Allwyn, ‘If it didn’t beep, was it a fault on the machine?'” she said.

“They said it was a possibility but it’s highly unlikely.

“They said it could be human error.”

The Londis outlet does not possess CCTV because it is presently undergoing refurbishment.

Proprietor Karan Kumar remarked: “The machine could have been playing up. Now they are doing an investigation. It would be amazing if she won.”

Lottery transactions at the premises have been halted while the investigation proceeds, with the terminal and scratchcards withdrawn.

Allwyn is anticipated to require up to 30 days to determine whether Kath can claim the prize.

She said: “I’m the unluckiest person to win the lottery because I don’t have the money.

“I’m trying not to think about what I’d do with the money in case I don’t get it.”

Should the claim prove successful, Kath revealed that one ambition would be to travel to New Zealand for the Lions rugby tour in 2029.

Fiona added that should the claim be unsuccessful, the funds would ultimately be redirected towards worthy causes.

Allwyn confirmed it was looking into the matter, stating it was “the only major lottery that allows players to claim a prize if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed”.