A PAIR of East Morton residents are celebrating their good fortune after scooping £25,000 each in the national People’s Postcode Lottery.

Graham Horton, 36, and Jackie Lowe, 43, were delighted to win the cash after their postcode – BD20 5WB – was drawn.

Mr Horton, a chief engineer at Maersk Oil, was at home when he was surprised by People’s Postcode Lottery Street Prize presenter Judie McCourt.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said. “I was trying not to think about my win before I saw the cheque. I never expected to win that much.”

Mr Horton’s wife, Charlotte, was attending a training course when her husband found out the good news. “I sent her a text to let her know how much I had won,” he said. “She won’t believe it until she sees the cheque for herself.”

He already has a few ideas of how he will spend the money, and said: “I would love to upgrade my car to a new Audi.”

He and his wife have two young boys, five-year-old Will, and three-year-old Joshua. Mr Horton added: “I will certainly be able to treat my wife and kids this Christmas. I’m sure they will be even more excited when they see their presents.”

He signed up to play People’s Postcode Lottery after one of his previous neighbours was a winner. “When I lived in Scotland, one of my neighbours who shared my postcode, won,” he said. “It looks like my current postcode is lucky as well.”

Mrs Lowe, a self-employed cleaner, had a day off from work when she was presented with her £25,000 cheque.

“It was such a surprise,” she said. “I was so excited to see how much I had won, I asked my neighbour to come over and sit with me.”

She said it was an even bigger surprise for her husband, Stephen, who is a mechanic. “Stephen didn’t even know I played until I told him I had won,” she said. “My husband is already looking at new BMWs.”

The couple say they would like to take their nine-year-old son, Oliver, to Lapland before Christmas. “We have never been before and it will be a fantastic treat for Oliver,” said Mrs Lowe.

People’s Postcode Lottery players have raised more than £51.4 million for charities and good causes across Great Britain and globally.

Bradford Disability Sport and Leisure, which also operates in Keighley, received £7,500 from players of People’s Postcode Lottery to enable it to set up a wheelchair basketball club.

Judie McCourt said: “Meeting Graham and Jackie was fantastic.”