Family nearly misses out on eye-watering £1m lottery jackpot after ignoring phone calls for a week

A family nearly missed out on an eye-watering £1million National Lottery jackpot after ignoring their phone calls for a week.

Mark Jefferson received several calls from the lottery for days on end.

Eventually, on the 10th day of calling, the builder from Ilminster in Somerset reluctantly picked up his phone.

Mr Jefferson, his wife and four children were told they won after matching five main numbers and the Bonus Ball in the lottery draw on June 24.

His daughter, Alexandra, chose the winning numbers, he said.

The family set up the lottery syndicate in July 2025 to celebrate his birthday.

"Knowing the family has opportunities we have never imagined before is the best feeling in the world," Mr Jefferson said.

He believed he had won just a "few pounds" after receiving a notification to check his lottery account.

He assumed the subsequent phone calls and emails were from salespeople.

When he finally did answer the phone, he took some convincing to believe his family had actually won.

He said: "When I was told I'd won a million pounds, I genuinely thought someone was winding me up.

"A builder from Somerset being told over the phone he'd won £1million? I wasn't convinced at all."

Floored by the huge sum, he described the win as "incredible".

It will now be shared between him, his wife Naomi, and children Alexandra, Lily, Emily and Taylor.

The rest of the family went "absolutely wild" after he shared the news he said.

"You always hear about people winning and wonder what it would feel like," Mr Jefferson said.

Each of the six members of the family are now making plans for their share of the eye-watering sum.

These include a large family holiday abroad, a new convertible for Naomi and a caravan on the south coast for weekends.