We scooped £200k on Postcode Lottery just moments after disaster struck – and we won’t have to pay a penny to fix it
A COUPLE hit by a plumbing disaster were delighted to find they wouldn't have to pay for the repairs after winning £200,000 on the People's Postcode Lottery.
Gary netted a slice of the £1million jackpot the same day his wife Elaine discovered a leak in the ceiling of their home in Devon.
The appliance engineer had received a call from the lottery agency informing him of an imminent visit moments before the emergency struck.
Gary explained: "We were waiting on the Postcode Lottery coming and then Elaine found a leak in the ceiling, so it's been a bit of a crisis."
Elaine then called her nephew, Corben, who owns a plumbing and heating company, to address the emergency.
Little did he know he was in for a shocking surprise when presenter Matt Johnson unveiled Gary's life-changing cheque.
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In disbelief, Corben said: "I literally didn't even know.
"No one had even told me that the Postcode Lottery were coming, everyone in the family knew but me.
"To be there and watch him get that, it's unbelievable. Mental money."
To add to their winnings, Corben assured the family that the repairs would be for free.
He added: "I'm buzzing for them, it's life-changing. But I can't charge them - it's my auntie and uncle, isn't it?"
Gary shared the whopping prize with four fortunate neighbours in Wolwell - all of whom live in the postcode PL6 7SU.
He now plans to splash the cash on a holiday to Benidorm in two weeks.
He said: "I'll go and play golf in Portugal and maybe go to a football tournament in Portugal. Maybe. If I'm allowed."
The loving husband also plans to treat Elaine to a spa weekend in Bath with her sister and niece.
He added: "I just can't believe the amount and the people that have won it on the street as well."
Another winner of the People's Postcode Lottery - who this week secured £12,000 a month for a year - didn't always have the best luck.
Retired NHS nurse Meg Carr, 69, and her husband Andy were kicked out their home in 1992 and weren't able to buy it back for 22 years.
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The mum-of-five said: "It was heartbreaking to leave. We had a dream for this place, and they didn't allow it.
"But we never stopped asking to buy it back. And when they said we could have it, it was amazing."
How does People's Postcode Lottery work?
THERE is potential for players to win some big cash prizes with People's Postcode Lottery - but how does it work?
People's Postcode Lottery is an ongoing monthly subscription lottery where paid tickets are automatically entered into all of its prize draws.
Players can purchase up to three tickets to play in its draws, with each ticket based on their chosen postcode. It costs £12 per month to play.
Prizes are announced every single day - and 33 per cent of the ticket price goes to good causes.
Prizes include £1million shared in one winning postcode every Saturday, £30,000 for every winning ticket in one postcode every Sunday, and a multi-million-pound prize is shared in one postcode area each month.
This month, Meg won "An Unforgettable Year", claiming £12,000 each month for a year. She can also choose from a range of once-in-a-lifetime experiences - in Britain or abroad.
The prize was promoted on behalf of the Postcode Support Trust which supports organisations including Missing People, Depaul UK and Royal Voluntary Service.