A SCOTS woman who won £250,000 on a National Lottery scratchcard has said that her windfall will change her life.
Linda Cain, 59, won the money on a scratchcard she had kept in her handbag for two weeks after buying it on a shopping trip and forgetting about it.
Now the NHS breast screening manager says she will retire in August safe in the knowledge her financial future is secure.
She also plans to buy a new car and take a trip to Latvia, her father's homeland, as well as a holiday in Las Vegas.
Ms Cain found the ticket when she put her mobile into her handbag before a shopping trip.
She said : "My dad and I do our grocery shopping every Saturday morning at the local Tesco. I had bought a couple of Scratchcards there two weeks previously but I forgot about them until I was putting my mobile into my handbag and spotted them.
"I went shopping as usual and scratched them when I got back, after my lunch. At first I thought I hadn't won anything then I revealed the winning diamond symbol.
"I always scratch my cards from left to right so then I saw the two and the five. I thought I had won £250 not £250,000!"
Finding it hard to believe her own eyes, Linda got her dad to double check and then had to wait another hour until her son Michael, 34 came home to triple check.
She added: "He told me to phone the claim line; they confirmed I had won and I've been numb ever since! I woke up on Sunday morning and thought 'did I dream this?'
"I buy two Scratchcards every few weeks and win £1 or £2. I normally save them up until I have a few winning cards so I can treat myself to something nice. This win is just amazing, it really will change my life."
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