Man who had to move back in with mum wins £333k

A man who won a third of a million pounds in a lottery has said he is going to buy his own home after living in shared accommodation and more recently having moved back in with his mum.

"I didn't quite believe it at first," said warehouse worker Lee Plant, 40, from Stoke-on-Trent, who was told the news last Thursday.

He said he was also planning to use the money to take driving lessons and to buy his mum a car.

"He rang me to tell me that he'd won and I didn't believe him and I put the phone down on him," his mum said, adding: "It's like a dream, it really is."

Plant's mum persuaded him to continue playing after he was struggling to afford the lottery's subscription fee.

The 40-year-old, who used his old postcode in Meir for the draw, won a share of £1m with two of his former neighbours.

The pair celebrated with a night at the karaoke, and are planning a holiday as the news of their win sinks in.

On his difficulty in affording to play, Plant said: "It was basically getting me down a bit because we were getting into debt and using our overdrafts to pay it every month."

A Postcode Lottery spokesperson said: "If a player is facing financial difficulties, we'd encourage them to contact us as soon as possible.

“It costs £12.50 a month to play, and subscriptions can be cancelled at any time."

Independent charity Step Change, which seeks to assist people over debt and gambling, offers free-of-charge advice.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.