A group of crimpers are feeling a cut above the rest after hitting the wig time with a £250,000 Lotto win.

It was business as usual yesterday at the Mayfair Hair Salon in Lancing - except the five lucky workers were busy popping champagne corks after receiving a cheque making them each £50,000 richer.

At first the women thought it was a prank and did not believe they had won.

Their numbers came up during The National Lottery's Thunderball on March 31 and they did not check the results until early on April 1.

Salon owner and syndicate leader Jean Rolls, 59, looked on teletext and realised they had matched all five main numbers and the Thunderball.

She said: "I couldn't wait until the morning to call them but when I told them that we'd won, they didn't believe me.

"They thought I was playing a joke on them because it was April Fools' Day. One of the girls hung up on me twice before she realised I was telling the truth.

"The funny thing is that we usually buy a ticket for the Lotto draw but for some reason I told my husband to buy a ticket for the Thunderball draw instead. It's as if I knew we were going to be lucky."

Later on the Sunday, the other syndicate members telephoned Jean to check they had not been dreaming.

Jean, whose favourite colour is pink, added: "The girls and I went up to the Camelot regional centre in a chauffeur-driven pink limo, all dressed in pink.

"We sang all the way there and back, and drank plenty of champagne.

"We are all really excited about the win and have been enjoying every moment of it."

More fizz was flowing yesterday when Jean, Jackie Winstanley, Phyl Benham and Anne Lillywhite were presented their prize money.

The fifth winner declined publicity and asked to remain anonymous.

Phyl, 55, has given some of her £50,000 to her children, who are both married, and plans to enjoy the rest.

She said: "Someone asked me if I was going to pay off the mortgage but I don't want to do something like that. I want to have fun with the money.

"I'm spending it in my head at the moment, thinking of what I'd like to buy. I think I'll probably get a new car.

"It's just been amazing. We haven't stopped partying since."

Jackie, 63, added: "That's what it's all about - enjoying it. We've never won anything like this before and it's a real bonus."

The syndicate has been running for five years and has won several lots of £10 which the members put towards their work Christmas meal.

Anne, 52, is thinking about treating herself to a holiday and said: "We haven't won a great load - it's not an overpowering amount but we're looking forward to spending it. Bring it on!"

Jean added they had fantastic support from customers at the salon in Crabtree Lane.

She said: "All the customers are so pleased for us and everyone has been really positive.

"We've been playing Abba's Money, Money, Money a lot and they've been singing along and getting in the spirit.

"We want to say thank you to them all."

The winning numbers were six, 13, 20, 28 and 32 and the Thunderball was three.

The hairdressers bought their lucky dip ticket at Somerfield in North Road, Lancing.

They said they would continue to play the National Lottery.

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