A builder who stockpiled lottery tickets in his van realised he had won £76m on EuroMillions six weeks after the draw. 

Andrew Clark, 51, from Boston in Lincolnshire, discovered the winning ticket in the visor of his Peugeot Expert. 

Clark claimed the prize last week after his partner, Trisha Fairhurst, 51, suggested he check the collection of lottery tickets stashed in his van. 

“Trisha kept telling me to check the tickets, and her niece Louise, who I was building an extension for, was also in on it once she’d heard about the unclaimed prize in the news,” he said. “ It was something of a standing joke that I had all these tickets while there was a local prize outstanding, so for weeks they were on at me to check.” 

The winning ticket was purchased from Eastwood Road Post Office in Boston and is the 12th biggest win in the UK. 

Clark announced his win at a press conference in Grantham, referring to himself as “the man who nearly lost £76m”. 

Clark remembered an incident in the summer where his stockpiled lottery tickets had blown out of the window of his van, the BBC reported.  He was relieved that had not been the case with his EuroMillions winning ticket this time round. 

Clark realised he was the mystery EuroMillions winner once he “finally gave in” one evening and began checking his collection of lottery tickets. 

He and Fairhurst have used the fund to buy a new home as well as two cars, but insist that “the best thing about the win is how we can help all our family”. 

Clark has three grandchildren and plans to take early retirement. 

He said: “It almost feels like some magical Christmas story, the man who nearly lost 76m. I’m very pleased that Trisha and Louise nagged me to check those tickets. 

“This Christmas is going to be a quiet affair, but next year will be a different story.  Trisha and I have this vision of hiring a big lodge or hotel so that the whole family can get together and swap stories about how they’ve spent their share over the past 12 months. 

“This win isn’t just about Christmas magic, it’s about creating a lifetime of magical moments for all those around us.”