National Lottery urges people to check tickets as £1m fortune goes unclaimed

The National Lottery is urging people in Tameside to urgently check their tickets, as it tries to hunt down a person sitting on a £1 million fortune.

It said the missing millionaire purchased the ticket in the Greater Manchester borough this summer and now has less than two months to claim their prize.

National Lottery rules state that a person has six months to claim their winnings, meaning they have until midnight on 28 December until the prize expires.

The winning numbers were 5, 8, 26, 33, 39, 42 and the Bonus Ball was 54.

Andy Carter, the senior winners’ advisor at National Lottery operator Allwyn, said: “I’ve searched high and low across Tameside for our missing millionaire, but I’ve had no luck.

“With just two months left to claim this £1 million prize, now is the time for anyone who bought a Lotto ticket in Tameside for the 1 July draw to have another look. The winning ticket could be tucked away somewhere completely ordinary, while its owner has absolutely no idea they are a millionaire."

He added: “We’d love to find the person we’ve been looking for and turn this search into a celebration. So, if you bought a ticket in the area, dig it out, check those numbers and help us find Tameside’s missing millionaire. It could be you.”

National Lottery said that 11 millionaires had been made in the less four weeks, including in Wednesday’s draw, when a single-ticket holder secured the £2.8m jackpot, while two other players won £1m each.

It is also trying to hunt down a ticket holder in Wales, as a £12m ticket purchased somewhere in Rhondda Cynon Taf in June remains unclaimed.

National Lottery said in July it was looking into a woman’s claim that the winning ticket belonged to her, but had been thrown into the bin.

Kath Main, 46, said she had used the same numbers for the last 20 years, but was told that when the ticket was checked at a Londis in south Wales that it was not a winner, before she realised she had hit the jackpot.