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Gran who was ‘EuroMillions winner for 10 minutes’ returns to mouldy flat

MARGARET DE MICHELI FROM LONDON WHO WAS TOLD SHE HAD WON A BIG PRIZE ON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY BY MISTAKE. PIC BY SIMON JONES
Margaret De Micheli, 72, was devastated after finding out the National Lottery made a mistake (Picture: News Group Newspapers)

A grandma was over the moon after being told she was a EuroMillions winner – but was devastated to find it wasn’t true, forcing her to return to life in her damp and mouldy London flat.

Margaret De Micheli, 72, dreamt of her hard-working husband retiring and a house by the seaside when she was handed a slip by a shopkeeper to confirm she had won a prize in the March 29 draw – which had a £34 million jackpot.

But her fantasies of a better life were shattered when she was advised to check the numbers again at her local Tesco in Swiss Cottage.

It was then confirmed by the National Lottery that it had all been a mistake and it wasn’t her lucky day after all.

‘I was gobsmacked’, she said. ‘I asked why I got the claiming ticket and she said the person in front of me [is probably who the claim slip was meant for]. It was a bit of a let down and I was quite gutted.’

The pensioner – who thought she was rich for a total of 10 minutes – says she wasn’t expecting millions, but ‘maybe £25,000 or something like that’.

MARGARET DE MICHELI FROM LONDON WHO WAS TOLD SHE HAD WON A BIG PRIZE ON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY BY MISTAKE. PIC BY SIMON JONES
Margaret dreamt had of retiring with her husband by the seaside (Picture: News Group Newspapers)
MARGARET DE MICHELI FROM LONDON WHO WAS TOLD SHE HAD WON A BIG PRIZE ON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY BY MISTAKE. PIC BY SIMON JONES
She thought she was rich for a total of 10 minutes until she learnt the truth (Picture: News Group Newspapers)
MARGARET DE MICHELI FROM LONDON WHO WAS TOLD SHE HAD WON A BIG PRIZE ON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY BY MISTAKE. PIC BY SIMON JONES
Margaret says there’s ‘no point crying over split milk’ and is still buying EuroMillions tickets (Picture: News Group Newspapers)

She told The Sun she had high hopes that her ‘weary’ elderly husband, 78, would finally be able to retire.

He is forced to get up at 3.30am to work a full day as a traffic warden due to the service charges the couple is required to pay on their home.

Margaret said: ‘It’s very, very hard. We would like to move out of the flat to somewhere by the seaside.

‘I think Poole in Dorset is somewhere my husband would like to go. I’ve managed to brush all the mould off the windows now.’

However, the almost-lottery winner says there’s ‘no point crying over split milk’ and has cracked on.

She is still buying EuroMillions tickets and says: ‘I know my turn will come.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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