Welsh mum scoops £12m National Lottery win despite losing ticket

It’s fair to say it’s been something of an agonising wait for Kath Main

A Welsh mum who had to wait an agonising 30 days to find out if she was a multi-millionaire will now collect a huge £12m National Lottery jackpot, it has been confirmed.

Kath Main, 46, realised the June 6 Lotto jackpot remained unclaimed and recognised the winning numbers – 10, 26, 30, 35 and 42 – because they matched the same combination she has played for more than 20 years.

But she no longer had the ticket in her possession because it had been disposed of after her mother had previously taken it to a Londis store in Abercynon to be checked. It did not flag as a winning ticket and was thrown away.

National Lottery operator Allwyn has been investigating the claim ever since an appeal was submitted and has now confirmed that mother-of-two will scoop the £12m after all.

A spokesperson for the operator confirmed the pay-out, stating: “We are the only major lottery which is able to look to pay a winner even if they have lost their ticket.

“The investigation we conduct is designed to ensure any claim is from the rightful ticketholder. We are then able, at our discretion, to pay that player once the claim period has expired 180 days after the draw. We are proud to pay out millions of prizes as well as raising over £33million for good causes each week.”.

Kath, during the agonising wait to see if she would receive the windfall, said: “I just feel sick all the time, it’s the not knowing and waiting.

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

“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’.”