A mother from South Wales claims she missed out on collecting a £12 million National Lottery jackpot after her winning ticket was thrown away by a shopkeeper who believed it was worthless. Kath Main, 46, of Pontypridd, only realised she may have won when she heard on the news that the jackpot from the 6 June draw had gone unclaimed, and recognised the winning numbers as the same ones she had played for the past 20 years. The case matters because it hinges on whether a faulty machine or human error deprived a family of a life-changing sum.

Kath's mother, Fiona, who buys the tickets each week, had presented the ticket at a Londis in Abercynon, but the machine reportedly did not register any prize, so she agreed for it to be binned before the rubbish was emptied. The shop had no working CCTV as it was being renovated, though Kath has supplied proof of purchase and footage from a nearby hair salon showing the ticket being bought. Lottery operator Allwyn is investigating whether a machine fault or human error was to blame, and has told Kath she may have to wait up to 30 days for a decision.