County Durham mum scoops £1m from lottery lucky dip ticket

32-year-old Toni Henderson saw her life change overnight when the lucky numbers were drawn, giving her and her young son an unbelievable £1,000,000 prize.

The admin assistant and mum of one bought two lucky dips tickets for Saturday, April 27. Upon checking, she believed she had won £1,700 - but it turned out to be so much more.

Toni said: "I checked one of the lines and realised I had some of the numbers. I originally thought I had matched five numbers, which was £1,700 and I was buzzing that I’d won that - it was extra money I didn’t have.

"But when I logged into my online account it came along the top that I had won £1M. I sat there counting the zeros, shaking in bed, whilst my son was still asleep.

"I tried to ring my mum but she wasn’t answering so I woke my son up and we jumped in the car to mums. She was visibly concerned when we turned up out of the blue and kept asking what was wrong.

"I remember saying something like, ‘I think you need to sit down’ before telling her that I’d won £1M on The National Lottery - she couldn’t believe it.

"She was in the middle of starting the Sunday lunch and just stood there shaking. I was on autopilot for the rest of the day and didn’t sleep a wink that night."

Toni now has plans to buy a family home as well as take a dream trip to Disney World Florida with her son and has already bought a new car with the winnings.

But, despite this life-changing sum of money, Toni confirmed she will still work to be a "good role model" for her son as she looks forward to the "freedom" of her future.

She said: "I want to keep working - it gives my son a good upbringing and he can learn the value of working hard. My mum has always worked and I want him to have a good mindset and learn that for the nice things in life, you have to earn them.

"I want to be a good role model for him. I have worked since the age of 17 - I would be bored and lost if I didn’t work.

"The win will help me massively - I have so much freedom now and I feel a lot more independent. It gives my son the start he deserves and I want the money to last for our future."

Toni added: "I’m not a greedy person - I just want to help others really. I’ve helped out family members and I want to do something special for my mum and dad. No amount of money can repay them for all they have done for me.

"I get a lot of comfort out of helping others – that’s what I get a buzz out of."