More than £600,000 in unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes is waiting to be picked up by winners in Sussex.

Nearly 11,000 bond-holders in East and West Sussex have scooped prizes ranging from £25 to £1,000 but failed to claim their cash.

National Savings and Investments (NS&I), the Government-backed savings and investments provider, is searching for them.

Winners are notified of their prizes by post and NS&I believe a large number of prizes go unclaimed because people forget to let them know when they change address.

Rabia Bapu-Jones of NS&I said: "If someone wins one of the smaller prizes, we automatically post a cheque out. So if they don't let us know they have moved, it goes to the wrong address.

"For prizes of more than £10,000, we send them a form and the £1 million winners get a personal visit so it's still a problem."

Research shows that one in four people forget to inform their financial providers when they change address so many customers are missing out on more than just premium bonds.

East Sussex holds 11 per cent (£350,675) of the South-East's £3.2 million of unclaimed Premium Bond prize money and West Sussex has nine per cent (£289,125).

There is no time limit on claiming the bonds.

The oldest unclaimed prize dates back to the first draw in June 1957.

Many people may not even realise they have Premium Bonds. They are often given as presents to children who then forget about them.

Anyone who thinks they may have unclaimed prizes can use the prize checker at www.nsandi.com by entering their Premium Bond-holder's number.

Alternatively, they can write to Premium Bonds, National Savings and Investments, Blackpool, FY3 9ZW.

Anyone who discovers they have an unclaimed Premium Bond prize with an interesting story behind it can call The Argus on 01273 544517.