EuroMillions: Hotel staff celebrate Christmas £1m lottery win

The winners said getting the prize just before Christmas was "perfect timing"

Staff at a Nottinghamshire hotel and spa are celebrating after their EuroMillions syndicate won £1m.

The group of 13 staff at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, near Retford, scooped the prize on 3 November.

Collecting £76,923 each, the colleagues are planning an "extra special" post-Christmas party and well as stocking full of Yuletide treats, they said.

Syndicate leader Darren Gargan said he was so busy at work, it took a week for him to realise they had won.

'Running along corridors'

The group of waiters, office, maintenance and spa staff won the cash in the UK Millionaire Maker draw.

Mr Gargan, from Doncaster, said: "I had the usual email telling me about the draw, and didn't really bother because I was busy at work.

"The next week I was repairing the hotel driveaway when I had another email. I checked again and asked fellow syndicate member and sales office manager Lindsey to look at the email.

"She was sure it was a winner so we agreed I would call the National Lottery.

"I called and, unbeknown to me, Lindsey was already running up and down the hotel corridors finding the other syndicate members to tell them that I was on the phone and she thought we had won £1m.

"By the time I'd finished the call, she'd also phoned members not at work. I'm not 100% sure what happened next, it's a bit of a blur."

Amazing news

Lindsey Fraser, 53, from Retford, said: "I was so excited, I was screaming and shouting around the sales office and then went off to find who else was working that day and was in the syndicate.

"Unfortunately, only two were on site so I had to phone the rest. It was a mad but a lovely few hours, telling everyone the amazing news."

Mr Gargan said he was planning a trip to Lapland, visits to relations abroad and a bumper Christmas.

"The win will make such a difference to so many people, not just the syndicate members, but their families and friends too. And to win just before Christmas is perfect timing," he said.

"Christmas is the hotel's busiest period so we are putting our syndicate celebration on ice, but I can't wait for our get-together, it is going to be very special."