Man scoops a share of £1m in lottery draw

A man who won a third of a million pounds in a lottery has said he is going to buy his own home after living in shared accommodation and more recently having moved back in with his mum.

"I didn't quite believe it at first," said warehouse worker Lee Plant, 40, from Stoke-on-Trent, who was told the news last Thursday.

He said he was also planning to use the money to take driving lessons and to buy his mum a car.

"He rang me to tell me that he'd won and I didn't believe him and I put the phone down on him," his mum said, adding: "It's like a dream, it really is."

She persuaded her son to continue playing the People's Postcode Lottery after he was struggling to afford the subscription.

"It was basically getting me down a bit because we were getting into debt and using our overdrafts to pay it every month," Plant said.

People's Postcode Lottery has been approached for a comment.

Independent charities such as Step Change warn that gambling and debt can quickly get out of control but there is free-of-charge advice available and a number of methods to help those affected.

Plant, who used his old postcode in Meir for the draw, won a share of £1m with two of his former neighbours.

The pair celebrated with a night at the karaoke, and are planning a holiday as the news of their win sinks in.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.