A grandmother of four last week tried to con the National lottery of the outstanding £33m jackpot  win. She presented a ticket which she claimed had been in the pocket of her jeans which had been put through the wash.

Speaking to The Times after taking it to Ambleside News in Worcester, 48 year old Susanne Hinte said: “Since I found it in my jeans pocket, my daughter and I have been drying it out with the hairdryer.

“You can see 2016 but not the date. This is one of only two shops I buy my tickets, and I remember coming in here the day, or the day before [the draw], because I had to buy something else.” “The ticket did have the winning numbers on it. Camelot will do the checks so as it stands nobody knows if it’s the winner.”

 

Meanwhile, the real winner later came forward and presented her ticket with the winning numbers.  Camelot, the National Lottery operator also confirmed the winning ticket had not been lost, stolen destroyed or damaged.

But Susanne Hinte later appeared to backtrack on the claim, writing on Facebook: “Not once have I said I have the winning ticket.

A spokesman said Camelot said: “We’re delighted that the winner of this amazing prize has now come forward and we hope that they will enjoy their win. It would have been awful if the ticket-holder had missed out on this substantial and life-changing amount of money.

“We would like to remind all National Lottery players to check their tickets every time they play.”

Around 400 people were said to have contacted Camelot to claim they had purchased the winning ticket.

West Midlands Police said a decision about whether to investigate a false lottery win claim would “depend on the circumstances”.

It is understood a police probe is unlikely if someone claimed to have won but offered no proof. However if a person produced a fraudulent ticket with the intention to deceive lottery organisers, charges could be brought.

Meanwhile, a celebrity agent reckons the 48-year-old gran,  could make a quick buck out of her 15 minutes of fame.

Agent Barry Tomes, who represents Benefits Street star Deirdre “White Dee” Kelly, said Susanne is “a winner already” and could now command a fee for appearances in pubs and nightclubs.

 

But Susan has not been seen out in public since the news of her scam broke.

Who can blame her.