There is money in rubbish after all!

Who says there is no money in rubbish? At least one lucky Midlands couple discovered just how valuable it could be to search through the rubbish when they unearthed a EuroMillions ticket worth a cool €500,000 buried underneath the rubbish in their family car.

The couple, who drove around for seven weeks oblivious to the hidden treasure in their car, were still stunned when they arrived at the headquarters of the National Lottery today to collect their winnings from the EuroMillions Draw which took place on April 18 last.

“We play EuroMillions and Lotto fairly regularly, but we are terrible for forgetting about the tickets and not checking the numbers, we usually let them accumulate before getting them all checked together” explained the delighted wife as she arrived with her husband to collect their winnings.

The very valuable ticket only surfaced when the wife started rifling through her car for loose change for a parking meter when she was out shopping yesterday. “I was desperately searching for coins when I spotted four Lottery tickets stuffed with rubbish in the side pocket of the driver's door. I thought I better bring them into the shop to get them scanned, just in case. I couldn't believe my luck when I was told to ring the National Lottery office as I had won a significant amount” said the delighted woman.

The lucky couple, who bought their Quick Pick ticket at the Gandon Service Station in Emo, Portlaoise, County Laois, plan to use their winnings to pay off some of their mortage and will put money aside for their young children's future educational needs.

“We are farmers and it has been a hard graft. Like so many people we have had a tough time financially in recent years so this is a great win and will take the pressure off” said the Lottery winners, who wish to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, a National Lottery spokesperson had advised players to always put their tickets aside safely, and to make sure to check their numbers after each game, as they only have 90 days to claim their winnings after a draw.

“If I hadn't been hunting for loose change in the car we might have forgotten about the tickets and it might have been too late to make a claim” said the beaming wife after collected her National Lottery cheque.