What would you do if you were told that you had won the £33 million lotto? Most probably, scream and cry out of elation, right? That is exactly what a divorced German grandmother did. Susanne Hinte (48), screamed and cried, but not due to happiness.
Hinte, lives in a rented three-bedroom semi-detached home in Worcester. She claims that she had bought one of the two winning tickets, and has not been able to sleep since finding it in the pocket of her washed pair of jeans. She even claims that she has been receiving begging letters from people, asking her for money.
Two tickets matched for the £66 million jackpot on Saturday 9th January. While half of it was won by David and Carol Martin from Hawick, Camelot are examining Hinte's claims.
The grandmother had bought the alleged winning ticket from Natu Patel (64), a shopkeeper who runs Ambleside News, in Worcester. She had returned to the newsagent with her ticket. The numbers were visible, however, the date and barcode were partially erased. Natu Patel said, “We have sent off her ticket to Camelot and they will carry out tests.”
About Susanne Hinte, Natu Patel said, “She is a pleasant, friendly person and would be a deserving winner.”
Natu Patel's shop is considered as a lucky lottery shop in Worcester. He said, “We have had a £25,000 winner, a £20,000 winner and a string of £1,000 winners.”
A spokesperson for Camelot said, “Without a serial number, almost more important than a ticket are the details surrounding its purchase, exactly when it was bought, what time, where, whether it was a lucky dip.”
Susanne Hinte will just have to wait until July to know whether Camelot will be paying out the winning amount to her or not. That is, indeed, a nerve-wrecking wait.
