A South Wales mother is enduring a tense wait over a potential £12 million Lotto jackpot after her winning ticket was allegedly discarded by a shopkeeper. Kath Main, 46, a mother-of-two who works as a rugby club treasurer, discovered that the June 6 Lotto jackpot had gone unclaimed and realised the winning numbers matched the same combination she has played for 20 years.
Ticket Disappears After Being Checked
Kath's mother had taken the ticket to a Londis store in Abercynon, South Wales, to be checked. The shop worker reportedly told her it was not a winner, and the ticket was thrown away. Kath only became aware of the issue after seeing reports about the unclaimed 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'."
Investigation Underway
When Kath asked where the ticket was, she was told it had been discarded. Cafe owner Fiona, who had taken the ticket to be checked, said the machine did not produce the usual alert. "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 later discovered the rubbish had already been collected.
She contacted Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, and provided evidence including proof of purchase and doorbell footage from a nearby hair salon. Kath questioned whether there could have been an issue with the machine. "I said to Allwyn, 'If it didn't beep, was it a fault on the machine?' They said it was a possibility but it's highly unlikely. They said it could be human error," she said.
Store Lacks CCTV
The Londis store does not have CCTV because it is currently undergoing renovation. Owner Karan Kumar said: "The machine could have been playing up. Now they are doing an investigation. It would be amazing if she won." Lottery sales at the shop have been suspended while the investigation takes place, with the terminal and scratchcards removed.
30-Day Wait for Decision
Allwyn is expected to take up to 30 days to decide 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." If successful, Kath said one dream would be travelling to New Zealand for the Lions rugby tour in 2029. Fiona added that if the claim was unsuccessful, the money would eventually return to good causes.
Allwyn confirmed it was investigating the case and said it was "the only major lottery that allows players to claim a prize if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed".
