Someone in Bolton won a whopping £1 million on the EuroMillions back in November, and still and hasn’t claimed the money yet.
Believe it or not, there’s a mystery millionaire knocking around Greater Manchester right now.
For anyone who regularly plays the lottery, or likes to grab themself a ticket every now and then when they’re feeling particularly lucky, it may seem absolutely wild to think that someone could have bought a EuroMillions ticket more than four months ago now, and hasn’t even realised that their lives could have potentially changed forever.
Even more shocking still, not only do they not realise they’ve won, they still haven’t claimed their winnings either, so the money is just lying there unclaimed as we speak.
But that’s exactly the case for one lucky Bolton resident.
According to The National Lottery, there was a whopping 10 cash prizes still unclaimed at the start of the 2024, and now, another handful have been added to that list – with a total of six £1 million unclaimed tickets from as early as September last year.
Doncaster, Northumberland, Redditch, and Camden are just a few of the other UK areas where unclaimed lottery tickets have been purchased over the last couple of months.
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Not only that, as well as the £1m lucky Bolton winner, someone from Manchester has also bagged themselves a life-changing win in the ‘Set For Life’ draw, which means they’ll be taking home £10,000 every month for a whole year.
And, to make matters even more urgent, if the National Lottery does not receive a valid claim for these tickets within 180 days of he draw date, the prize cannot be claimed.
Someone in Bolton has won £1m on the EuroMillions and still hasn’t claimed the money / Credit: Pxhere
Any interest on the winnings will also go towards National Lottery Projects across the UK.
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The £1 million-winning ticket in Bolton was part of the 3 November 2023 EuroMillions draw – with the draw number being 1682 – which means the winner has until 1 March 2024 to claim their winnings, while the Manchester ‘Set For Life’ ticket was drawn on 5 February 2024, leaving those winners until 3 August 2024 to claim the money that’ll make a real difference to their lives.
To find out the winning numbers for both the EuroMillions and ‘Set For Life’ draws, head to the Unclaimed Prizes section of the National Lottery website here.
It could, genuinely, be your lucky day.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
First look at Albert Square as Manchester Christmas Markets return to their spiritual home
Thomas Melia
Manchester Christmas Markets are back and all our Christmas wishes have come true, as its spiritual home Albert Square joins in on the festivities for the first time in six years.
Grab a mulled wine, toast yourself a marshmallow and take a seat, because we’re going to take you on a quick tour of this brand-new offering.
You’ll be able to tick off your Christmas Markets wish list in one place, as Manchester has got all your usual favourites and so much more taking place right here outside of its iconic Town Hall.
As soon as you walk in you’re greeted by a huge sign spelling out the city’s iconic abbreviation ‘MCR’, just in case you forgot where you were, that also doubles as a nice photo opportunity.
Albert Square in Manchester city centre is getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time in six years / Credit: The Manc Group
As you walk into Albert Square there’s a mix of nostalgic wooden huts and brightly coloured modern street food vendor stations waiting to tempt you with all their tasty treats.
There’s no messing around at this Christmas hotspot because not even 10 feet after you enter, you can warm up with a glühwein and bratwurst, yes please.
Think you’re done sampling some festive feasts? Think again as there’s a marshmallow toasting station, a roasted chestnut cart and lots of huts are offering their own hot chocolate creations.
Local street food vendor Rita’s Reign has made her mark in Albert Square too, serving up her foodie feasts with a seasonal spin such as the ‘Festive Feast’ and ‘Christmas Crunch’ combo boxes.
Rita’s Reign is just one of many food vendors at Manchester Christmas Markets / Credit: The Manc Group
As you keep making your way round there’s some lovely gifts and trinkets to browse including tree decorations, ornaments and some vibrant pieces of art.
There’s plenty of ways to keep the kids (and big kids) entertained with some carnival-themed games and stalls as well as a vintage carousel, if that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit what else will?
Of course, there’s even more food to mention like mini dutch pancakes, toasted sandwiches, French toast, the list is endless (Much like many of our Christmas lists).
And we couldn’t finish our visit without acknowledging the elephant in the room, also known as The Manchester Big Wheel, which is the perfect people-watching spot, but maybe hop on this ride before you try all the tasty treats mentioned above.
Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Emily Sergeant -
12th March 2024 
