A MUM came home from holiday to find out she had become a millionaire by winning the lottery. 

Donna Smith had just returned from a two week holiday in Corfu when she discovered the life-changing news after she checked her ticket at the Southern Co-Op where she works and found out she had won £1 million.

The 41-year-old said: “I buy lottery tickets on birthdays and holidays and I was heading for Corfu so I bought a ticket for the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker.

"When I returned from holiday I asked my work mates to check the ticket for me and it came up with a message saying I needed to call Camelot.

“That was the longest walk home from work I have ever done. I kept running into friends and, of course, it’s the

most natural thing in the world to stop and chat, especially when you are just back from holiday but I was desperate to get home and make the call.

Donna lives with her 18-year-old daughter Bryony and her parents live nearby. She is buying three houses - one each for her, her daughter and her parents.

“While I was phoning Camelot, my daughter Bryony checked online and immediately burst into tears but I kept saying

no, no, you must have got it wrong. When Camelot told me I had won £1 million I still couldn’t believe it. I went out to a hen night that evening and found it very difficult to keep the news quiet and my daughter had to go off to work and it took a bit of time for her to calm down.

“It makes me shudder to think how easily I could have lost my £1 million pound ticket. I took it on holiday with

me in my purse and left it in all sorts of places including ten seats in front on me on the plane coming home. There was no room in the overhead lockers near me so my hand luggage was ten rows ahead. I would have kept it close by my side had I known it was worth £1 million.

“I bought the ticket from the Southern Co-Op in Selsey where I work and I was asked whether I was going to stop working but I love my job so I’m definitely going to carry on. My boss now thinks I’m a lucky mascot.”