Van driver celebrates £1m scratchcard win: I couldn’t believe it was real

A meat delivery van driver has won £1 million on a National Lottery Scratchcard, which he bought as he popped into a shop to buy a vape to help him quit smoking.

John McFadden from Southampton is one of several new millionaires celebrating their Lottery wins during the Easter weekend.

The 63-year-old, who drives vans delivering meat from butchers across the country, said: “I knew I had to do something about my smoking. With the change from buying the vape, I bought a Scratchcard and took it home.

“When I started scratching it off, it said £50,000 under the first number and I thought ‘whoopee!’. I carried on and just kept seeing more and more £50,000s. I thought it was a lot but didn’t know what to believe.”

He said that he first checked his win at the shop where the assistant told him it was too big to pay out in the shop, so he called Camelot to check.

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He said: “I was just stunned when they said I had in fact actually won £1 million and that I was a millionaire – I couldn’t believe it was real.”

Mr McFadden said he will spend his winnings on moving closer to his three children and two grand-daughters and on exotic holidays to the Far East.

He said: “After my divorce, my children moved to Weymouth so now they and my grandkids all live there. I see them as much as I can but am often away driving the van.

“Having a base close to them will mean I can see them all so much more. Hopefully, the bar and hot tub I plan to have in my new back garden will also mean more fun family time.

“I’m not planning to give up work – I’m nowhere near retirement age. But I do work long hours so cutting back a bit will help me to spend more time with family.”

Mr McFadden’s first purchase was a brand-new Skoda Kamiq and he plans on making a dream trip to Bora Bora, as well as to Cambodia and Vietnam, inspired by his son’s recent holiday.

Mr McFadden is one of several millionaires created by the Lottery during the Easter weekend.

On Good Friday, a £122 million EuroMillions jackpot, which has now been claimed, was won by a single UK ticket-holder.

In the same draw, a ticket-holder also won £1 million in the UK Millionaire Raffle, which has also been claimed.

And in Saturday’s Lotto draw, one ticket-holder matched all six main numbers to win the £12,523,601 Lotto jackpot.

A further five players won £1 million by matching five main numbers and the bonus ball. All of the Lotto prizes are waiting to be claimed.

Mr McFadden bought his winning 50X Scratchcard at the Post Office in Regent’s Park Road in Southampton.