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JACK-SCOT!


RETIRED ABERDEENSHIRE COUPLE WHO WON £58MILLION ON EUROMILLIONS NAMED AS THEY
REVEAL TICKET WAS RIPPED IN HALF AND CHUCKED IN BIN BY CASHIER

The pair, revealed today as Fred and Lesley Higgins from Laurencekirk, almost
missed out on their huge cash prize after the store gaffe

 * By Katy Pagan

 * Published: 11:35, 2 Aug 2018
 * Updated: 14:19, 2 Aug 2018

 * By Katy Pagan

 * Published: Invalid Date,

 * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
 * Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

A RETIRED Aberdeenshire couple who bagged a £58million lottery windfall almost
missed out on their cash when the winning ticket was BINNED by a cashier.

Fred, 67, and Lesley Higgins, 57, were the lucky EuroMillions ticket holders who
won the entire jackpot and have gone public with news of their win today.


6
Fred and Lesley Higgins celebrate their huge lotto winCredit: PA

The pair, who have been married for 35 years, managed to predict the right
numbers in the draw on July 10 to take home £57,975,367.

That makes them richer than pop star Harry Styles, actress Emma Watson and
singer Ed Sheeran.

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ABERDEENSHIRE COUPLE WIN INCREDIBLE £58MILLION ON EUROMILLIONS AFTER MATCHING
ALL FIVE NUMBERS CORRECTLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But the couple almost missed out on their huge cash prize when a shopkeeper
mistakenly tore their ticket in two before realising it was a winner.

Fred said: “I handed the ticket over and the young man put it through the
machine, telling me it wasn’t a winner.


6
The winning ticket was bought - and ripped - at the couple's local Scotmid
storeCredit: Google Maps

"He ripped the ticket in two and threw it into the bin, as they would with all
non-winning tickets. But this time, the terminal produced a chitty which said I
needed to retain my ticket and call Camelot.

"The retailer immediately grabbed it out of the bin and handed it to me, not
realising it was a winner before he discarded it."

And Fred, a retired Audi administrator, joked his wife slept through all the
drama of their torn ticket.

He said: “The ticket had been torn in two but all the numbers were still clear
so I took it back home to make the call.


6
The Aberdeenshire couple are now £58m richerCredit: PA
6
The couple have already made their first lotto purchase - a brand new
AuidCredit: PA

"Lesley was snoozing so I thought I would look at the website to double-check
the numbers and sure enough, the first matched, then the second matched, match,
match – we had them all.

“When Lesley woke, I explained we had a winning ticket and what had happened.

"I showed her the numbers, asked her to check and she misread them, thinking we
were £5.7m richer rather than an amazing £57m.

After being advised that because of the tear, processing it was a little more
complicated and the win would need a little more investigation, the security
team came out to see the couple and chat to the store to check the course of
events and look at the CCTV footage.



> That moment you get handed the winning cheque! #BehindTheScenes
> #YouSawItHereFirst pic.twitter.com/rEsqpP7rKZ
> 
> — The National Lottery (@TNLUK) August 2, 2018



But despite the nerve-wracking delay, Fred said he felt very calm throughout the
whole ordeal.

He added: "I think it was just sinking in – so I then called Camelot and
explained what had happened.

“I wasn’t ever concerned that we wouldn’t get the money as I knew it was a
honest mistake – it just had to be looked at to make sure everything was
correct."

6
Fred and Lesley were announced as the mystery lotto winners at the Marcliffe
Hotel in AberdeenCredit: PA
6
The pair look ecstatic with the windfallCredit: PA

With the money in the bank, the couple have already made their first purchase –
a brand new Audi Cabriolet.



As well as another motor, possibly a BMW or a Jaguar, they are looking at how
they can use the money for years to come.

The couple have always dreamed of living abroad.

And Lesley has already handed in her notice from her role as Account Manager at
the Montrose Port Authority.



Fred said: "We love Gozo, which is where my niece lives, so we always thought we
would get somewhere out there.

"But I have to say since we won, I’ve got my eye on somewhere in France and
Lesley seems to be looking at property in Barbados. I think it might be fun to
explore a few places before we commit to buying anything.”



As well as maybe taking up some new hobbies – Fred likes the sound of golf –
they are keen to look after those close to them, including their daughter, and
will definitely support some charities, but it is too early to say at the
moment.


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He added: “It is our wedding anniversary on 20 August and my birthday a couple
of days later, so I think a celebration is in order before we decide what comes
next.”

The couple bought and checked their winning ticket at Scotmid, High Street,
Laurencekirk and the winning EuroMillions numbers from the draw on 10 July were
3, 8, 26, 33, 45 and the two Lucky Stars were 7 and 10.

The pair won £57,975,367 from the July 10 draw.

A Camelot spokesperson said: “We are so glad to be able to pay Fred and Lesley
this amazing sum. It is essential that we ensure we are paying the rightful
ticket-holder, and in situations like this, it can take a little time for these
investigations to be completed.”



Piers Morgan LEAVES GMB studio as he 'celebrates huge lottery win'


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The
Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5200

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 



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