A Tilbury resident who won £13 million on the National Lottery didn't know he was a multi-millionaire for three days.

News of the massive win for Dean Allen, 26, of Tilbury, was announced yesterday (Thursday).

He took the entire £13,861,061 rollover jackpot fortune three days after Saturday's draw.

Until then he had not bothered to check his lucky dip ticket, which had the winning numbers - 48, 39, 1, 35, 37 and 3.

A spokeswoman for national lottery organiser Camelot said: "He only realised he had won the jackpot on Tuesday when he checked the winning numbers with his girlfriend Louise on his mobile phone service.

"He kept the ticket in the microwave to make sure it was safe."

Mr Allen was collecting his cheque yesterday (Thursday) at a top London hotel.

Witham: More moderate lottery success

While one Essex man is celebrating winning a £13 million lottery jackpot - 14 Witham workers are quite happy with their more meagre win ... of almost £4,000.

It may not sound a lot - but it is the mid-Essex town's biggest ever lottery win.

But, wait for it, that has got to be divided by the 14 people in the syndicate.

The lucky workers at Prime Appointments in Newland Street, Witham, were over the moon to learn it had got five balls correct in the draw on Saturday, netting a grand total of £3,872.

When a member of the syndicate went to pick up the prize cheque from at Martin's newsagents in Newland Street, she was told by national lottery organiser Camelot the win was the biggest in Witham since the lottery started.

Once the loot was shared out, each employee won £276.57, and the whole syndicate celebrated with a slap-up meal on Monday.

Syndicate member Jennifer Wells said: "The only ball we didn't get was the last one so for a long time we thought we were on for the jackpot."

She added: "Most of us have banked the winnings but there has been plenty of holidays booked. One's booked a holiday in Cuba and I'm going on a weekend to Dublin."

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