An Essex plumber isn’t quite ‘buy-myself-a-private-island’ rich, but he has just pocketed a huge £300,000 after scratching off the magical numbers on a National Lottery Ruby Doubler Scratchcard that has changed his life - and it only cost him £3!

“I jumped in the car ready to head back to the site with the drinks but before I started the car, I paused to play the Scratchcard. I had only played half of it when I saw that I had matched 2 number 22s and revealed the prize symbol for £300KThousand. I thought I was seeing things, and checked, then triple-checked, I even read the rules on the back of the Scratchcard!” 

Essex plumber ditches wrench after £300K lottery win https://t.co/SpFxfZvNL0

— BBC Essex (@BBCEssex) October 28, 2021

And for tradesman Sean Irwin, 36, the win means putting down the tools for good as he plans to retrain and follow his passion in becoming a videographer…but not before he helps his mum out following a tragedy in the family.

Speaking to the BBC he said, "The first thing I'm going to do is pay off Dad's funeral costs and buy a really lovely headstone too so that Mum doesn't have that worry looming over her.”

"It's been a really tough couple of years, culminating in my dad losing his battle with cancer this summer, and if I've learnt anything from that it is to make the most of every opportunity, he said.

"This win has opened up so many doors and will give me the security to explore a whole new career, so I'm going to do exactly that.”

Mr Iwin was sitting in his Ford Focus with his boss when he realised he had won the huge cash-prize.

(H/T BBC)

Feature Image Credit: National Lottery