I was told I won lottery jackpot that was too large to be paid out on the spot – but was devastated by what they gave me

A SAD dad thought he’d snagged a £50,000 lotto jackpot – only to find out the following day he had won just £2.

Nathan Moody, 25, was planning on buying a car and taking his three children on holiday before the devastating news halted his plans.

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The doting dad-of-three, from Billingham in County Durham, copped a chancing lucky dip from his local corner shop with the hopes of netting a life-changing jackpot for his young family.

And he was beside himself when returning the ticket to his local, Low Grange Store, and was told by the shopkeeper that the win was so big he would have to call Lotto HQ.

Speaking to the The Chronicle, Nathan said: “It made a beeping noise to say I had won. The shop assistant was quite shocked.

“The machine was telling him it’s a big payout and I should contact Lottery HQ.

“He gave me a pen and told me to write my name on the back of the ticket. Everyone in the shop was over the moon for me.”

The lucky dad immediately started planning a holiday for his family, and had his eyes on a new whip to help look after his children.

Nathan, added: “I was talking to my partner about getting everything sorted and paying my bills.

“We could have got a nice little car, and helped my mum and dad out.

“The most I’ve ever won before is £100. I do it about once a month.”

But after waiting up late on the same night to check his lotto app things were not quite as fruitful as first thought, and he would have to figure out a new way to take his partner Charlotte and children Mason, seven, Kaci, five and Jakobi, two, on holiday.

Nathan, said: “I waited up until about 11pm to check the lottery app on my phone.

“When I checked it, it told me I had a free lucky dip.”

Unfortunately, Nathan had had his ticket scanned during what is known as a “draw break” – a period immediately after a draw where numbers and prizes are being worked out by Camelot.

Devastated Nathan went back to the shop the next day to check again – but his luck had run out.

He said: “The machine made the beep again and it gave me a free lucky dip.

“That was it – he took the ticket and gave me the print-out that says I’m entitled to a lucky dip. I had won no money.

“I was absolutely gutted. I couldn’t speak, I was devastated.

“I knew it wasn’t the £1m raffle but I assumed it was one of the 10 prizes of £20,000.”

A spokesman for Camelot, who run the National Lottery, confirmed the ticket was scanned and the National Lottery terminal displayed the following message: “Results not in. Return ticket to player and tell player to check another day.”

He described the message as being “entirely normal” and until this “draw break” is over, no prizes can be given out.

He’s not the only disappointed lotto player either, punters all over the country have had false wins that they hoped would change their life.

One couple thought they had banked an incredible £182million – only to be told a payment issue meant they could not claim the prize.

And, a silly oversight meant these winners lost out on over £30million.

But although most would jump for joy knowing they had won enough money to never need to work again – some say winning a jackpot ruined their life.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk