A National Lottery jackpot winner in Essex has missed out on a Christmas of a lifetime after failing to claim their £5 million prize.

More than six weeks after the super draw, the winner of the biggest unclaimed prize to date has already lost £29,000 in interest, said Camelot.

It also emerged that another Essex winner, in Thurrock, has an unclaimed prize. A cool £203,951, won in February 1997 on five numbers plus the bonus ball, is still waiting to be collected.

The £5 million ticket was bought in Essex for the lottery's fifth birthday super draw on November 20.

Camelot, still hoping to contact the winner in time to celebrate the millennium in style, lit up London's Piccadilly Circus with the winning numbers. It is also running a radio campaign to find the winning ticket holder with the numbers 7, 9, 15, 20, 29 and 34.

Carolyn Fitzgerald of Camelot said: "Whoever won could have had a fantastic Christmas and enjoyed a wonderful holiday. They would be celebrating the millennium in spectacular style. They could have bought the car or house of their dreams, shared the money with family and friends and would have a wonderful outfit to be wearing on millennium eve.

"It is incredible that people forget to check their ticket.

"People must always keep their tickets in a safe place and check their numbers just in case".

Although the ticket was bought in Essex lottery organisers say the winner could be from anywhere in the country.

In a similar incident two years ago a Scottish couple came close to losing a £1.5 million prize after throwing their ticket away with the Christmas wrapping paper.

Ms Fitzgerald said: "Luckily they went through their rubbish and found the ticket."

The winner of the £5 million has got until May 18 to claim their cash before it goes in the Good Cause pot.

The largest jackpot prize to go over to the good causes to date was £2 million left unclaimed by someone who bought a winning ticket in May 1996.

Picture, top: Loads a money - PC Graham Holmes with five million smackers in Piccadilly Circus, where the winning numbers have been on display

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.