Amazing second lottery win for cabbies

Amazing second lottery win for cabbies
LUCKY cabbies from Littlehamp-ton have picked up a dream fare of a second Lotto win – beating odds of 155 billion to 1.
The syndicate of 13 men work for Littlehampton taxi firms A to B and Chauffeur Taxis and will each take home just over £42,000 of the £546,480 of a £4.91m Lottery jackpot which they shared with several other winners.

Known as the Toads (Taxi Owners and Drivers' Syndicate), the group had its first success five years ago when it won £144,222 but still say that it will be business as usual at the two firms.

Their winning ticket for the draw on February 24 was bought at Wickbourne Stores in Clun Road by syndicate leader Alan Russell, who said he couldn't believe it when they won for a second time.

"I was in the shop buying the next week's ticket," he said. "Usually my wife checks the tickets but she hadn't this time so I gave it to the shopkeeper and he told me I had won big. I said to him how big? and he replied 'mega money'.

"I just couldn't believe that we had won again and when I phoned the guys up to tell them they all thought it was a wind-up."

Alan even said that the day before he realised they had won, his daughter told him she had dreamt someone she knew would have a big lottery win.

One of the men, Dave Balchin, was away on holiday in Australia at the time visiting family. He was woken at 6.45am to be told that they had won.

"At first I thought there was a problem at home," he said. "But when I was told I realised that there was no problem at all!"

Alan said: "It's a shame that we didn't win the whole lot but we are certainly happy with what we've got.

"It's not going to change our lives or anything, but it will certainly make us more comfortable. We've all got holidays planned, maybe a new car and home improvements but soon it will all be gone."

He added: "We are going to keep playing, we want to win number three now."

The group play 25 lines on the Wednesday draw and another 25 on Saturday, always with the same numbers.

They have since worked out that each of them has paid in £750 since the previous win – not a bad investment for a £42,000 return.

Good luck to them, they paid there money, they took there chance, and it came in for them good luck and enjoy it.