Lottery winner who scooped £2million on scratchcard reveals she used photo of her winning ticket as IOU to pay urgent vet bill for her pet parrot
- Lesley Herbert, from Basingstoke won the maximum jackpot on a scratchcard
- Her parrot Bibi dislocated its foot while she waited to get the ticket validated
- The animal lover showed a photo of her winnings to the vets as proof of payment
A National Lottery scratchcard-winner used a photo of her £2million win as an IOU to pay for an urgent vet bill for her pet parrot.
Lesley Herbert, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, said her African grey rescue parrot Bibi dislocated its foot while she was waiting to have her winning scratchcard confirmed.
The mother-of-four said: ‘It was a crazy moment when I found out I had won and, just as I was waiting to get the ticket validated, everything got a little more chaotic as Bibi, one of my African grey rescue parrots, had an accident, dislocating her foot.
National Lottery scratchcard-winner Lesley Herbert used a photo of her £2million win as an IOU to pay for an urgent vet bill for her pet parrot
The animal lover from Basingstoke, Hampshire, said the African grey rescue parrot Bibi (pictured) dislocated its foot while she was waiting to have her winning scratchcard confirmed
‘The vet team were brilliant but were very shocked when I showed them a picture of the scratchcard as an IOU.
‘They laughed that they’d never before been shown a £2million winning scratchcard as a guarantee the bill would be paid.’
Ms Herbert, 42, is looking to buy her first home for her family and their parrots, Bibi and Alfie, two rescue dogs Nicko and Luna, and chickens she has been waiting to buy.
She said: ‘I am still trying to get my head around the win but I have already been looking for what kind of house I could buy – a farm with a bit of land would be amazing, so I can rescue more animals in need.
‘In the longer term I would love to look at starting my own animal shelter charity.
Ms Herbert, 42, is looking to buy her first home for her family and their parrots, rescue dogs and chickens she is planning on buying
Ms Herbert plans on going on a dream holiday to the Bahamas to visit Pig Beach to swim with the pigs that live there
‘This win will also mean so much to my four children. I’ll be able to set them up for life, which is something I never dreamt I would ever be able to say, let alone do.’
Ms Herbert also plans on going on a dream holiday to the Bahamas to visit Pig Beach to swim with the pigs that live there.
Describing her win, she said: ‘I popped to the shops to buy some spinach, of all things, but decided against it and ended up getting a chocolate orange bar.
‘For some reason I was also feeling quite lucky, so treated myself to a Monopoly Riches National Lottery Scratchcard.
‘When I went to the shop, I even said to the shop assistant ‘I’m feeling lucky today’.
Ms Herbert bought her winning Monopoly Riches National Lottery Scratchcard at The Co-operative in Limes Park, Basingstoke
‘My grandad died in December and he always used to say to me “when I win the lottery, I’ll buy you the big house on top of the hill”, so I can’t help feeling he was with me that day, telling me to buy the ticket – I just wish he was here to see it.
‘I played the scratchcard at home, thankfully one of my sons is home-working so was able to tell me I wasn’t seeing things when I revealed the £2million winning symbol, and that I’d better call Camelot.’
Ms Herbert bought her winning Monopoly Riches National Lottery Scratchcard at The Co-operative in Limes Park, Basingstoke.
The scratchcard offers a one in 3.38 overall chance of winning a prize, which ranges from £5 to £2million.