National Lottery Lotto £1 million won by Southend family

Rose Tresadern, 80, from the Southend area, scooped the prize with her children, Barry and Julie, after playing a set of cherished numbers each week in memory of her late husband, Derek, who died a year ago.

The numbers came up in the Lotto draw on April 18.

Mrs Tresadern said: "We carried on playing the numbers because they reminded us of Derek.

"Winning £1 million never even crossed our minds. I don’t even know what all the numbers meant to Derek but whatever they represent, they have turned out to be very lucky for us.

"It honestly feels like he’s still looking out for us. I know he’d be over the moon."

Mr Tresadern passed away following a short illness, not long after the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

The family formed a syndicate to continue playing his numbers in his honour and Mrs Tresadern was alone at home when she discovered the win and immediately phoned her son.

Thrilled - Julie, Rose and Barry Tresadern (left to right) used late father Derek's numbers (Image: Kieran Cleeves/PA)

She said: "I rang Barry straight away, I could hardly speak. They thought something terrible had happened.

"When I told them we’d won £1 million, there was just silence.

"None of us could believe it."

The win will transform Mrs Tresadern’s daily life, giving her the opportunity to move into a more accessible home with her Maltese dog, Amira.

She said: "This changes everything. With my mobility issues, I need somewhere to live that’s easier to manage.

"Now I’ll have comfort, independence and peace of mind. It’s such a relief."

She also intends to buy a sentimental keepsake in Derek’s memory.

"I want to buy a new engagement ring," she added.

"Derek bought me a second ring years after our original one wore out, but that’s become damaged too.

"I’ll repair it, but I’d love a new one as well. Something special to remind me of him."

Kathy Garrett, senior winners’ advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: "Huge congratulations to Rose, Barry, and Julie on this incredible win.

"There’s something truly special about the fact Derek chose the winning numbers many years ago and that the family continued playing them to honour him.

"It’s a wonderful story and fantastic that this prize will make such a positive difference to their lives.

"Lotto has already made over 50 millionaires so far this year which is why it’s the nation’s millionaire maker."

The family won the £1 million prize after matching five main numbers and the bonus ball in the April 18 draw.

From next month, Lotto is making changes to offer players two chances to win with every £2 entry, using the same number of balls.

The changes are expected to create around 345 millionaires each year, compared to the current 140, and will improve the odds of winning any prize from one in 9.3 to one in 4.9.