A single dad has won £1m on a lottery scratchcard after having a quick flutter on his lunch break.
Didzis Pirags, 36, works 60-hour weeks and will be able to afford time to see his son after the “Christmas miracle”.
He was on his break when he opened his National Lottery App and discovered he still had £6.50 left to spend.
He decided to spend £5 on the Instant Win Game, and was left speechless when the £1,000,000 pop-up crowded his phone screen.
The single dad from Latvia ran to his son’s nanny and then to his manager to make sure his eyes didn’t deceive him - in what he called a “Christmas miracle”.
Mr Pirags, from Preston, Lancashire said: “It’ll change my life completely. I’ve got a five year old son, and now I can spend quality time with him.
"I've not spent a weekend with him in years.
“I work 60-hour weeks so I barely have time to see him. I see him Monday evenings, Tuesday evenings and sometimes on Friday in the daytime.
“This is the best Christmas present we could have received, it’s massive.
“It’s going to mean a better life for me and my son, I can give him a better future, better education, a better house.
“Everything in our lives can be better now.
“The real gift is the life we’ve been afforded thanks to this win. He’s the most important person in my life, it’s all about him.
“Raising him on my own, it’s been difficult at times in the last five years but now things can change for the better.
“It’s not my money really, it’s all his. This is truly a Christmas miracle, I can’t believe it.”
Mr Pirags has been working as a chef in a restaurant in Preston for the past two-and-a-half years and even lived in a flat just above it.
He said he’ll now be swapping the £200 per month flat for a £280,000 four-bed house in Preston and will be swapping the 60-odd hours at the restaurant for a job that will give him more precious time with his son.
The chef, who spends £40 a month on scratch cards, said: “The time we can spend together is invaluable.
“Money shouldn’t change your lifestyle, we’re going to have a better life but it’ll be something we feel in the long-term, not just by buying flashy things.
“This is why I’m going to keep working, and he will too when he’s older.
“The only thing I bought for him extra for Christmas were some headphones he asked for, but I’m not going to spoil him.
“We’re moving into our new home on Monday. I can’t believe this is all happening to us, but I can’t wait.”
