Cancer sufferer's record win

A woman suffering from cancer today collected Britain's biggest single Nat ional Lot tery prize of £20 million.

Iris Jeffrey, 58, forgot about her ticket for three weeks, sparking a nationwide hunt for the winner.

Mrs Jeffrey, from Belfast, was handed her cheque today and said the first thing she would buy was a new car for her 62- year- old husband Robert. The delay in collecting the prize has already cost her about £50,000 in lost interest.

Mrs Jeffrey said: "I had put my old tickets in the glass cupboard at home and forgotten about them."

She said she was watching TV when she saw there was an outstanding prize. She added: "I wrote down the numbers and checked them against my tickets. I thought that I had all six but could really not believe it. I asked my daughter Wendy to check for me.

"When she confirmed the win I said, 'Oh that's nice'. I really don't think I realised quite what had happened."

Mrs Jeffrey takes home £20,100,472, after winning the Lotto Rollover jackpot on 14 July. The winning numbers were 6, 27, 33, 38, 45 and 47. She bought the ticket at a Tesco store in Belfast. Mrs Jeffrey has two daughters, Wendy, 32, and 28-year-old Karen who is expecting a baby soon. Mrs Jeffrey has been receiving treatment for cancer of the gullet and is awaiting an operation.

She added: "The big excitement to follow our windfall has imminent prospect of becoming a grandmother for the first time. The Lotto win will mean I can really and truly spoil the new arrival." Mrs Jeffrey is the biggest single prize winner in the 10 year history of the National Lottery. Previously the record was held by Marion Richardson of Gateshead who won £16.7 million in January. The highest ever jackpot was the £22.5 million won in 1995 but that was shared between two winners.