'I won £143k on Postcode Lottery but thought it was a prank by my big brother'

'I won £143k on Postcode Lottery but thought it was a prank by my big brother' A woman who scooped a staggering £143,000 on the Postcode Lottery thought the life-changing win was an elaborate prank by her big brother A woman who bagged a staggering £143,000 on the Postcode Lottery assumed the life-changing windfall was an elaborate hoax orchestrated by her prankster older brother. Fortunate Eileen Ross, 52, split a £1million jackpot with six neighbours after their street secured the Millionaire Street prize. But astonished Eileen and partner George Duncan remained convinced the entire affair might be a set-up by her brother Bob, 54. Eileen said: "I thought either my brother Bob or my nephew were pranking us. "It would be a pretty elaborate prank, but they do go to some lengths. "I'm going to tell him that I've won, but he won't have known that I thought he was pranking me. I will apologise to him." Eileen and six neighbours in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, each banked £142,857 after postcode AB39 2LH landed today's Millionaire Street prize. The architect was at a building site when she learned of her win. She said: "This is mind blowing, life changing. I only ever write down numbers like that on bills. I can't get my head round it. If Bob comes round the corner, I'll be really annoyed." Web designer George, 49, was equally gobsmacked by their six-figure fortune. He said: "This is awesome, it feels mental, absolutely bonkers. "We got a phone call to say the Postcode Lottery would arrive around 11.30am, but when it got to noon and no-one had appeared we wrote it off. Then the doorbell rang." The pair, who are passionate Latin and ballroom dancers, are now planning to splash out on George's upcoming 50th birthday celebrations. He said: "We've got a number of social circles. We'll bring them all together in the town hall. "We'll hire a big band and invite everyone and put a free bar on." A family holiday to Tenerife is also already booked. George added: "There will be dancing in Tenerife. What a holiday this is going to be." Yet despite suddenly finding themselves £142,857 better off, the couple's wish list remains refreshingly down to earth. They're planning to get their BMW fixed after it failed its MOT, and finally get round to decorating their bedroom. Thrifty Eileen joked: "I might get a new pair of slippers. We've lived here for 12 years, and we've never decorated the bedroom upstairs. It's still raw plaster. "I kind of made a joke about when I win the Postcode Lottery, I'll be able to pay for it." The couple also pledged to treat their nearest and dearest this Christmas with a slice of their windfall. Eileen said: "We're hosting Christmas this year, so it will be a bigger turkey and extra haggis bonbons. "This street has such a good community spirit and it's really nice to be sharing this. "It's super exciting if others have won. They're all good people who have stayed here for a long time." [Image text:] PLPOSTCODE LOTTERY 142.857 SESTREE 8392 Stancharen PL