Mother 'finds out she has won £12MILLION in the Lotto - hours after a shopkeeper threw her ticket in the bin'

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:22, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 01:22, 9 July 2026 A mother-of-two claims she had a £12million winning lottery ticket - but only discovered her luck hours after a shopkeeper threw it away because the machine 'did not beep'. Kath Main, 46, from Pontypridd, South Wales, heard in the news the jackpot from June 6 had gone unclaimed - and said the winning numbers were the same ones she has used for the last 20 years. Excited at the prospect of a life-changing sum of money, Kath spoke to her mother, Fiona, who buys the tickets each week and asked her to double check the numbers for last month's draw. But Fiona claimed it could not have been a winning ticket because when she presented it to Londis in Abercynon, the machine had not registered any prizes. She agreed for the shopkeeper to throw the ticket away - with Kath only realising it was a winning ticket hours after the bin had already been emptied. The shop meanwhile does not have any CCTV because it is being renovated. National Lottery operator Allwyn is now investigating whether a human error or faulty machine might have resulted in the alleged error. Kath has been told she may need to wait up to 30 days before Allwyn reaches a decision.  Kath Main, 46, from South Wales claims she had a £12million winning lottery ticket - but only discovered her luck hours after a shopkeeper threw it away  National Lottery operator Allwyn is now investigating whether a human error or faulty machine might have resulted in the alleged error Kath claims the numbers that came up are the same ones she has used for the last 20 years (file pic) She has handed over proof of purchase and footage from a nearby hair salon showing Fiona purchasing the ticket. Speaking to The Sun, she said: 'I just feel sick all the time, it's the not knowing and waiting. 'I'm trying not to think about what I'd do with the money in case I don't get it.'  Londis owner Karan Kumar said: 'It would be amazing if she won.'  Allwyn said it was looking into the matter, adding that it is 'the only major lottery that allows players to claim a prize if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed'.