Lotto luck is icing on the cake

Lee Beddow forgot to buy his weekly ticket so he stopped off on the way to the church, before tying the knot with his sweetheart Jackie.

The loving couple scooped more than £2,000 in the National Lottery and have vowed to make their honeymoon extra special.

They jetted off to Jamaica today and have upgraded their flights to first class. They also have tickets to see England play Australia in the Cricket World Cup. Lee, aged 41 and a music lecturer at Stoke College, married Jackie, a 33-year-old nurse, at The Oakley Hotel in Brewood last Friday.

Minutes earlier he had bought a ticket from the Texaco garage in Boscomoor Lane, Penkridge, despite never having won more than £10 before.

The pair, who have a son James, aged six, and live off Hednesford Road, matched five numbers in the draw.

Lee, who also owns Rugeley-based recording studio Abbey Sound, said it was the best weekend of his life. "The wedding was the best day of our lives and the win on the lottery was the best icing possible on the cake," he said.

"I remembered on my way to the wedding that I'd forgotten to buy a ticket, so I stopped at a garage on the way to pick one up. I had my ticket checked in my local shop on Sunday morning and was shocked when I was told I'd matched five numbers."

But the happy couple had to change honeymoon plans at the last minute because their hotel had not been completed. They were originally due to fly to Antigua for the cricket match but had to swap destinations to Ocho Rios.

Lee added: "We've got tickets for England against Australia, so the money will come in useful to find a way to still get there."