Christmas comes early as Shropshire neighbours celebrate £3m Postcode Lottery win

Christmas came early for more than 400 lucky Ellesmere residents who shared the £3 million prize pot in the Postcode Lottery.

Eight neighbours in Oak Drive scooped the largest wins, £187,418 each when SY12 0BN was revealed as the full winning postcode.

But others in the town received cheques ranging from £3,206 to £9,618.

WATCH: Celebrations over lottery win

A total of 441 residents scooped a share of the prize pot.

The corks were popping as the People’s Postcode Lottery ambassadors Danyl Johnson and Matt Johnson arrived in the town.

Winners of the smaller amounts went to the lottery marquee set up at the Wharf to collect their cheques before the team went to Oak Drive to knock on the winners’ doors on Saturday.

Donna Dean, 43, a chef, was in tears as the amount was revealed.

Mum to Abbie, 20, and Rhys, 18, she said: “This money is life changing for us, it’ll make everything so much easier and make a huge difference.

“I work a lot so being able to work a little less would be nice and also being able to give my children the best Christmas ever is really special.”

“It’s great that I have won but I have loved winning with my friends and other members of the community.”

Liam Bailey, 27, broke down when he saw what he had won. He was with family and friends who had already cracked open the bubbly when the People’s Postcode Lottery team arrived.

“It’s just out of this world. It’s a crazy amount of money. My daughter turns four next year so I can put money away for her. I can finally buy a house too, I never thought I’d come into money like this.”

Richard Thomas, 51, signed up to play this year because he heard a few of his neighbours were playing and didn’t want to miss out if his postcode was drawn as a winner.

Richard, who was left speechless, is going to use his winnings to buy his council house.

Ambassadors Matt and Danyl said the community spirit in Ellesmere had blown them away.

“Everyone has been so excited and pleased for the winners. It is great to see neighbours so close and all celebrating together,” said Matt.

Danyl Johnson said: “It’s been a great day here in Ellesmere and myself and Matt have absolutely loved meeting the winners. Handing out cheques at any time of year is always really exciting but doing it on the run up to Christmas makes it even more special.”

He said that a minimum of 32 per cent of every ticket going to charity and said local good causes had benefitted.

Earlier this year, Horatio’s Garden at Shropshire’s Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries received funding for a new horticultural therapist.