Postcode Lottery: Hundreds in Rhymney share £3.7m lottery win

Postcode Lottery  Ted OwenPostcode Lottery
Ted Owen, 76, won a staggering £370,000 after purchasing two tickets, each winning £185,000

More than 400 people in a small Welsh town have scooped thousands of pounds in a People's Postcode Lottery win.

The biggest payouts in Rhymney in Caerphilly county from the £3.7m pot go to Ted Owen, 76, who picked up £370,000 after playing with two tickets, and eight others who receive £185,000 each.

And 426 others in the same postcode sector will get from £3,894 to £11,682.

With a population of about 5,000, it means roughly one in 10 Rhymney residents receive a prize.

Retired steelworker Mr Owen was "absolutely elated", and said: "You never expect to win this amount of money."

He plans to go on a world cruise with his winnings, and said he couldn't wait to tell his children about the win.

"I don't think they'll believe me when I tell them how much I've won," he added.

Postcode Lottery  Lottery winnersPostcode Lottery
Welsh TV presenter Matt Johnson presented the lucky winners, including Lisa Scanlon, with their cheques

"I really don't know what I'm going to do with my winnings," said Lisa Scanlon, 43, who picked up £185,000.

"I'm always teased in my family about how sensible I am with my money, so I'll need to think of something exciting to spend it on, maybe a trip to the Maldives."

"I can get some new slippers now," said 72-year-old Gladys Kent, who also won £185,000 - although she did add that she'd also like a holiday to Benidorm.

"It's my husband Gary's 75th birthday tomorrow so we'll have a big party with our three children and eight grandchildren," Ms Kent added.

Postcode Lottery WinnersPostcode Lottery
Ted Owen, Mary Brooks, Gladys Kent, Raymond Jenkins, Lisa Scanlon, Lewis Lance and David Price were among the lucky maximum prize winners

Welsh TV presenter Matt Johnson, who grew up near Rhymney, handed out the money.

He said: "I absolutely love getting to come home to Wales to present my fellow countrymen and women with some lovely big cheques."

"It's been such a special day meeting our winners and I'm sure there will be a big party in Rhymney this weekend."