By Victoria Mckeown-
A joyous couple have spoken of their delight after scooping more than £5 million on the lottery.
Paul and Louise Drake, both 47 and from West Lothian took home the £5,162,779 Lotto jackpot in the July 28 draw after Mr Drake checked his numbers the next morning before his shift.
Until last week, Mr. Drake worked as a production operator in Lidl. He was getting ready to give two colleagues a lift to work when he described how he was struck by a “niggling feeling” to check his lottery ticket.
The Scot was left in shock when he realised that his ticket was a winner.
Speaking on Friday, he said: “I’m not an emotional guy but I just burst into tears.
“I ran back into the house screaming and woke Louise up to tell her. We just couldn’t believe it.”
The parents, who are from Seafield near Bathgate, have two sons aged 11 and 15.
Paul and Louise Drake, both 47 and from West Lothian, have won a whopping £5,162,779
Paul and Louise Drake, both 47 and from West Lothian, have won a whopping £5,162,779 (Image: PA)
Mrs. Drake, a district nurse, said: “I got such a fright thinking something was wrong, but he was shouting something about winning the lottery.
“At first I thought it was £5,000 and tried to go back to sleep. But obviously that didn’t happen.”
Mr. Drake said he learned of his win at around 4.30am – but because he was the designated driver that day he still had to take his colleagues into work.
I’ll still chase a bargain and I definitely won’t be paying £6.50 for a bacon roll at the golf club
Speaking on Friday, he told the PA news agency: “I couldn’t believe it, I ran back in the house in floods of tears, it was very emotional, Louise thought something was wrong.
“She thought it was £5,100 but I said, ‘no you need to wake up a wee bit and turn the lights on and see this’.”
The couple, from Seafield near Bathgate, have two sons aged 11 and 15.
Mrs Drake, a district nurse, said: “I got such a fright thinking something was wrong, but he was shouting something about winning the lottery.
“At first I thought it was £5,000 and tried to go back to sleep. But obviously that didn’t happen.
“I went to work on the Thursday and the Friday and just didn’t say anything to anybody.”
Mr Drake said he learned of his win at around 4.30am – but because he was the designated driver that day he still had to take his colleagues to work.
When he got to the office he wasted no time telling bosses he would not be clocking in that day.
He said: “The guys who I drove to work knew something was up and that I was acting strangely, so it wasn’t long before people guessed.
“Our friends, family and colleagues are over the moon for us, they’re really chuffed, which is great.
“There’s not a bad word to say, everybody’s just happy and delighted it’s somebody that’s won it they know.”
The golf enthusiast – who plays at a course in Uphall, where the clubhouse burned down in the winter – insists the fortune will not change “who we are”, but will “change our lives dramatically from a financial perspective”.
Paul and Louise Drake celebrate (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Paul and Louise Drake celebrate (Andrew Milligan/PA) / PA Wire
He added: “I’ll still chase a bargain and I definitely won’t be paying £6.50 for a bacon roll at the golf club.”
The car lover said he is eyeing up a Porsche and a new Range Rover as well as clearing the mortgage, while Mrs Drake plans to take her sons to New York and a family trip to Florida.
Mr Drake said he normally chooses his numbers but on this occasion he bought three last-minute lucky dips from a shop in Seafield, with one hitting the jackpot.
He added: “Just on the Wednesday I’ve got my wee way of doing it, I pick my numbers, I’ve been doing it for years and get a wee win… but it’s ironic – three lucky dips and scan your ticket and get what you get.
“Next week it’ll all be forgotten about and we’ll just get on with life.”