Big Money Lands In Marton

Luck seems to run in the family for a Marton woman who scooped £25,000 with her postcode seven years after her brother won the same amount with People's Postcode Lottery.

Barbara Bennett from Rosemoor Close was one of three neighbours who won the five-figured cash prize. Their postcode, TS7 8LQ, was drawn as a winner in one of the Saturday Street Prizes today.

Barbara, an office manager in a local secondary school, said, "I can't believe I've won the exact same amount as my brother. I feel very lucky.

"It was such a pleasant surprise when the cheque was revealed and all the other neighbours who'd won were out in the street watching me open the envelope.

"Me and my husband Peter are going to go to Corfu later this year to an amazing beer festival, so we'll be able to have a really great holiday now. It'd be nice to pay off some of the mortgage too."

Another winner is retired British steel worker David Elsdon, who says he was astounded to win. "When I got a call to say there would be a delivery from People's Postcode Lottery, I thought it was a wind up. It wasn't until I saw Judie standing at the door that I knew it was true.

"This is a nice sum of money to win and I'll be able to enjoy it in my retirement. I've been playing the lottery for eleven years now and it was a really big surprise to win. I've got some friends I'd like to visit in Miami and my son is getting married soon, so I'll be able to help out with the cost of the wedding."

Telecommunications worker Linda Smith also scooped £25,000 and is already looking for her passport. She said, "Winning is unbelievable. I love travelling and now I feel like I can go to all the places on my bucket list.

"I'm planning to treat my two daughters and my sister to a break in Ibiza this year. And it would be nice to revisit some of my favourite places too. My daughters are in their late teens and they keep asking to go to Florida as a family one more time, so now we can actually do that."

Street Prize Presenter Judie McCourt, who presented the winners with their incredible cheques, congratulated them all. "This is a fabulous prize for our three winners in Marton. How amazing that Barbara and her brother have both won £25,000. What a lucky family! With People's Postcode Lottery there are chances to win every day and players have helped to raise more than £129 Million for good causes around the country."

Player supported charities near today's Marton winners include cricket charity Lords Taverners, which was awarded £13,150 in 2015 and Friends of Fairy Dell, which was awarded £2,000 this year for its Pathways to Fitness project.

Some more whopping £25,000 cheques were handed out this weekend, as another Satuday Street Prize landed in Fareham.