Lotto-winning couple may help flood victims following £33 million jackpot
A couple who won half the historic £66 million Lotto jackpot may put some of the money towards helping flood victims in their home town.
David and Carol Martin, from Hawick in the Scottish Borders, scooped £33 million in Saturday's draw after matching all six numbers.
In their first public appearance in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the couple, both 54, described their shock at winning the prize.
Mr Martin bought three lucky dips for the draw at Morrisons - and one of them came up with the magic numbers, 26, 27, 46, 47, 52 and 58.
The couple had been relaxing at home, "completely unaware" that the Lotto ticket on their mantelpiece held the winning numbers until a visit from a friend who urged them to check it.
Hawick was one of many places in Scotland and across the UK hit by recent floods, and the couple said helping the victims was something they would look at.
"It’s been national everywhere with the flooding," said Mr Martin.
"Hawick is a tight-knit community. We will look into that but we can’t comment on it right now.
"When you see the damage it's horrible."
Mr Martin works for Borders Care and Repair Housing Association, helping the elderly and disabled, while his wife is employed by a local chemist.
Mr Martin said he only checked the ticket on Sunday morning.
"Carol called out the numbers, I realised that the first line matched up one by one," he said. "We must have checked it another ten times or more.
"I've dreamt of this moment many times but when it actually came, it was a just total shock.
"We were both stunned into silence. We kept re-checking the numbers as we thought there must be a mistake.
"All we could do was drink lots of hot tea and try and make sense of it all. The information just wasn't going in."
After confirming the win, the first person they told was their daughter in Australia, who Mrs Martin called on the phone.
The family have not been together for more than a year but the couple have offered to pay for a first class ticket home as soon as possible.
Mr Martin said their first purchase was a set of £5 champagne glasses after a Camelot employee said they would bring them some champagne.
The couple said they money would change their lives but "it won't change us". They said they didn't know if they would move home following the win.
Mr Martin said he might buy a nice pair of shoes with the money.
He is a keen golfer but has been unable to play for some months due to a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation.
"He will need to have a small operation soon to help steady the pulses and after that should be back out on the golf course before too long," said Mrs Martin.
On Wednesday, Lotto operator Camelot said the holder of the other winning tickets had still not come forward and urged players to again check their tickets.
Prize winners have 180 days after the draw date to come forward, which means Saturday night's joint winner has until July 7 to claim their prize.
What could the couple buy with their £33m?
One 100ft luxury yacht at £20 million
156 £211,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadsters
Stay in the £53,000-a-night Royal Penthouse Suite in the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva for 622 days
A 16-strong fleet of small private jets costing £2 million a pop
3,300 plush £10,000 hot tubs
Go on an all-inclusive two-week summer holiday to Florida, 6,600 times
Take 412 £80,000 round-the-world cruises in a penthouse suite for 130 nights