RUSSELL JACKSON
A TEENAGER who works part-time in a supermarket told yesterday of the moment she realised she had scooped the lottery jackpot, making her one of the youngest winners.
Lisa Dougan, 17, was checking last Wednesday’s winning numbers for a customer at the store when she noticed the numbers drawn were similar to her own.
At first, the teenager thought she may have won only £10 on a Lucky Dip ticket, but as she went through the winning line at the back of the shop, her good fortune became apparent.
Speaking yesterday at a press conference, with her family and boyfriend beside her, Ms Dougan, from Torphichen, West Lothian, described the moment she found out she had become a millionaire.
The sports-studies student said she was stunned when she realised she had scooped £1,568,212 with only her third ticket. The teenager yesterday chose to toast her success with Irn Bru instead of the customary champagne.
Ms Dougan, who works part-time behind the Lotto counter at Tesco in Bathgate, only discovered her success on Saturday, three days after the draw.
Describing the moment when she realised she had won, she said: "A woman asked me for a print-out of Wednesday’s numbers. I had a look at them and I thought I might have won a tenner.
"I printed it off and checked my ticket in the back store and realised I had five numbers. My heart was racing and I thought: ‘Oh my God. I’ll never need to work again.’
"When I checked it again I had six numbers and I called the phoneline. The man on the other end told me to sit down and told me how much I had won."
Ms Dougan was accompanied by her parents, Jim and Linda, both 46, and her boyfriend, Alan McLay, 20, for the cheque presentation.
The youngest Lotto winner was Tracey Makin, who was 16 when she won £1,055,171 in January 1998. The youngest Scottish winner was Stuart Donnelly, 17, from Glasgow, who won £1.9 million in November 1997.
A Lotto spokeswoman confirmed Ms Dougan was one of the top six youngest winners.
With the scoop still sinking in yesterday, the teenager said she had no immediate plans about how to spend her windfall but said she has her heart set on a Peugeot 206 when she passes her driving test.
She also admitted that her worries over how to raise £600 spending money for her two-week summer holiday in Magaluf, Spain, were over.
In the meantime, she intends to visit her sister, Gemma, 21, who is working as an au pair in New Jersey.
But Ms Dougan, who has 18 months left of her three- year course at West Lothian College, Livingston, said she was determined to finish her studies.
On her future plans, she said: "I have only ever wanted to get a good career and have my own house. I have always wanted to join the police force but I’ll let college go by first and then see what happens."
The teenager joked that it was a "big possibility" that she would not be returning to her part-time job in Tesco.
Lisa won £10 with her first lottery ticket and succeeded on Wednesday with the numbers 5, 16, 30, 38, 42 and 43.
Mr Dougan, a transport manager, said the family would seek financial advice and take time to consider how the money should be invested.
He said: "We will keep her feet on the ground and make the money work for her.
"She is only 17 and that money has to do her for the rest of her life."
Mrs Dougan, who works as a travel administrator, said her daughter woke her up after winning £10 with her first lottery ticket. She learned of her jackpot success while out shopping and described it as "unbelievable".
"Everybody is numb with shock and after we have a holiday we will have a family get-together to decide what to do next," she said.
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