£250k Unclaimed Lotto Prize

14 April 2011, 06:00

Heart's found out a winning lottery ticket worth a quarter of a million pounds still hasn't been claimed more than three weeks after it was bought in the Thames Valley.

National Lottery players are being urged to check and double-check their tickets for the chance to claim the prize

The search is now on to find the owner of the winning ticket, bought in the West Berkshire area. The winning Lotto Plus 5 numbers on Tuesday 29 March 2011 were 4, 7, 22, 27, 33, 39 and the bonus ball was 42 – the lucky ticket-holder matched the six main numbers in the Lotto Plus 5 game* on that date to win the £250,000 top prize. They now have until 3pm on Sunday 25 September 2011 to make their claim. 

If no-one comes forward with the winning ticket before the prize claim deadline, then the prize money, plus all the interest it has generated, will go to the Good Causes, adding to the £25 billion already raised through sales of lottery tickets since The National Lottery launched in November 1994. 

A National Lottery spokesperson said:

"We're desperate to find this mystery ticket-holder and unite them with their winnings – this amazing prize could really make a huge difference to somebody’s life. We’re urging everyone to check their old tickets again or look anywhere a missing ticket could be hiding. Try checking in the pockets of clothing, in wallets, bags and down the back of the sofa – someone out there could literally be sitting on a fortune! We have the champagne on ice and our fingers crossed that the lucky winner comes forward to claim their win."

To jog Lotto Plus 5 players' memories, Don’t Hold Your Breath by Nicole Scherzinger topped the UK singles chart at the time, while Adele was at the top of the album chart with 21.

In a sporting context, local football team Reading FC were in action the weekend before the draw. They secured a 1-0 win away at Barnsley. The day after the draw, locals may have taken a trip to the Hexagon in Reading to see Science Museum Live on Tour!   

Anyone who believes they have the winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 0000.