STREET — An army veteran has won £500,000 on the Postcode Lottery after forgetting he was still signed up to the draw. Rick Robinson, 58, from Street in Somerset, said he initially assumed the phone call telling him he had won was a prank.

He later realised the prize had been split across his two tickets, with £250,000 landing on each one. Robinson said he had “totally forgot” he was still taking part and only accepted the win when he checked his bank account and saw the direct debit.

He is one of eight winners in the Somerset village, where neighbours have shared a total of £2.25 million.

How Rick Robinson realised the win was real

Robinson said the first sign of the prize came through a call from someone claiming to be from the Postcode Lottery. At first, he did not believe it and thought the message was part of a joke.

He said: “I thought it was a joke initially when I got a call from someone claiming to be from Postcode Lottery and they said, ‘You’ve won a prize’. I thought, ‘No, I haven’t’.”

Only after checking the payment linked to the lottery did he accept that the money was genuine. He said he had completely forgotten he was still entering, despite being an active player through two tickets.

For Robinson, the surprise was made bigger by the size of the prize and the fact that the win came out of nowhere. He said he could not properly take in how much money it was.

Army service in Germany and plans for the money

Robinson joined the Army in 1985 and served with the 19th Regiment Royal Artillery. Much of his service was spent based in Dortmund, Germany.

He said the first priority will be paying off the mortgage. After that, he and his wife Sharon want to restore “Myrtle the Turtle”, a 1980s caravan.

The couple’s plans sit alongside the practical relief the win brings after a difficult few weeks at home. Robinson said the money would help ease immediate pressures as well as fund the caravan project later on.

He described the jackpot as an “absolutely incredible amount of money”, saying he could not comprehend the scale of it.

Neighbours celebrate after flooding and major repair bills

The win has come just weeks after the Robinsons’ 170-year-old terraced home was hit by severe flooding. The couple have spent six weeks trying to dry the property out, using dehumidifiers and fans constantly.

That work has also left them facing a major repair bill. The lottery money will therefore arrive at a moment when the household has been dealing with disruption, damage and extra costs.

Just down the street, another local couple are celebrating too. Tel Hayes, 77, and his wife Morveen, 81, have won £250,000 and are marking their 30th wedding anniversary with a cruise to the Norwegian fjords in October.

Hayes said the prize means they no longer have to worry so much about money, from everyday bills to the plumber due to visit the next day.

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