A Lancashire couple experienced what must be one of the most heartbreaking near-misses in British lottery history, discovering they had selected all six winning numbers for a £35 million jackpot but couldn't collect a single penny due to insufficient funds in their bank account.
The Christmas Eve That Changed Everything
Edwina and David Nylan, from Fleetwood in Lancashire, entered the Lotto draw on 23 December 2015 through the official Lottomobile app. Like millions of Britons hoping for a festive windfall, they selected their numbers and attempted to complete their purchase.
What happened next would become a story of extraordinary misfortune. The numbers they had chosen - 01, 02, 04, 19, 28, and 41 - matched exactly those drawn for that evening's £35,410,034 jackpot. Initially, it appeared the cash-strapped couple had experienced a genuine Christmas miracle.
The Devastating Discovery
Grandmother Edwina described the moment their dreams collapsed: "When the numbers came up, it looked like we had got all six and had won the jackpot but when I checked, there was nothing from Camelot."
Upon contacting Camelot's customer services, she received the crushing explanation. "The person I spoke to said they could see from their records that we had intended to buy those numbers but they said the purchase did not go through because we only had 60p in our account," she revealed.
The couple had attempted to top up their account but this transaction hadn't registered either. Edwina admitted: "You get an email to confirm your purchase, but I didn't remember to check because it was just before Christmas and I was so busy."
Coping With Extraordinary Disappointment
Despite the devastating setback, Edwina demonstrated remarkable resilience. "I am gutted, but what can we do? We have played for years, and had our online account for some time, so it is not as if we didn't know what we were doing," she said.
She added: "I have just had to carry on with things and not get too down. Shocked isn't the word, but as a family we stick together and just have to be grateful for what we've got."
Camelot's Official Response
A Camelot spokesperson provided detailed clarification about what occurred: "The player did attempt to purchase an online Lotto ticket multiple times on December 23 from 7pm onwards (the cut-off to buy tickets is 7.30pm), however, there were insufficient funds in the player's account - so the attempted purchases were not successful."
The spokesperson emphasised: "The player would have received an error message on every occasion confirming this. We do not have any record of the player attempting to add funds to their account, nor would anyone from our customer services team have any visibility of the numbers that the player attempted to purchase because that level of detail wouldn't be shown on the screen in front of them."
They explained the standard confirmation process: "When anyone successfully purchases a ticket on the Lottery website they will see a purchase confirmation screen, receive an email confirming their purchase and be able to see the ticket in their National Lottery online account."
The spokesperson concluded with important advice for all players: "Only tickets that have been successfully purchased can be entered into the draw. So it is up to players to ensure that they have adequate funds in their account to complete a ticket purchase."
Looking Forward Despite Setback
In a testament to human optimism, the Nylans revealed they would continue playing the National Lottery, hoping that fortune might eventually smile upon them. Their story serves as both a cautionary tale about ensuring adequate funds for online purchases and a remarkable example of resilience in the face of extraordinary disappointment.
The couple's experience highlights the importance of double-checking transaction confirmations, particularly when significant sums are involved, and serves as a poignant reminder that in the world of lottery wins, nothing is certain until the purchase is complete and confirmed.
