A Leicestershire man has celebrated an extraordinary £600,000 win after mistakenly signing up for three People’s Postcode Lottery tickets instead of one.
John Deacon, 71, from the village of Beeby, said he originally intended to purchase a second ticket after playing for years — but accidentally ordered two more. The error tripled his prize when postcode LE7 3BJ was announced as the winner of the Millionaire Street draw, with each ticket worth £200,000.
Picture credit: People’s Postcode Lottery
“It’s a seriously happy mistake,” John said. “I got a notification saying I had three tickets. I thought, ‘Do I? I’d better cancel one of them.’ But I didn’t — and I got this triple surprise.”
John shared a £1 million prize with two neighbours, becoming one of the latest winners in a week of million-pound draws. Five more winning postcodes are set to be revealed until 23 November.
The win came on an emotional day for John, marking six years since his mother Iris died at age 89. John, who was her carer for two decades, believes she played a part in his good luck.
“I think this is a gift from my mum,” he said. “She’s definitely looking down on me. Thanks mum.”
Despite suffering a serious motorbike accident in 2018 that left him with a shattered leg, John still plans to use part of his winnings to expand his motorcycle collection. He hopes to secure a rare Triumph Hurricane and buy a new Nissan Juke.
He also plans to explore holidays, consider purchasing his local authority home, and set aside funds to support charities, particularly animal welfare organisations and Alzheimer’s-related causes.
“I’m not going to go mad just because I’ve got money,” he said. “A lot of people are going to be happy with this.”
Next door, neighbour Andrew Bonnington, 63, also won £200,000 — despite his wife Diane urging him to cancel their lottery subscription.
Picture credit: People’s Postcode Lottery
“I told him not to play, but he proved me wrong,” said Diane, a 61-year-old nurse. “We’ve had such a difficult time lately. This will go a long way to helping.”
Diane lost both her parents within a week late last year, and she believes the win carries a touch of comfort during a painful period. Andrew, a farm worker who tends around 200 sheep, said the prize will help them renovate both their home and Diane’s parents’ farmhouse.
The couple, who have three children and seven grandchildren, plan to celebrate with a Christmas trip to London next month.
“It feels good to win with John next door,” Diane added. “We’ve been neighbours for over 40 years.”
