A Scots gran has won a £30k postcode lottery prize after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Thomasina Allan from Clydebank was stunned to scoop the huge cash pot on Monday 22nd November.

The 76-year-old now plans to use her winnings to see her sister in Australia for the first time in 14 years.

It comes after doctors found a cancer mass and operated on her this year before she took on radiotherapy.

She said: “It’s amazing really! It’s hard to take it all in.

“It can open doors, it’s a bit of relief and takes a lot of weight off.”

Thomasina says the win has brightened her year up immensely after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

She said: “The doctors found a mass in my left lung and I had surgery to take it away, followed by four weeks of radiotherapy.

“They said it would take about five years before they could tell if the cancer is gone or not.

"So, this news is brilliant, it really is.

"I can do some things now because you don’t know what’s going to happen one day to the next.”

Thomasina stopped working a few years ago after cleaning cars for well over 40 years and now plans to take enjoy her retirement by taking her granddaughter on a holiday to Melbourne, Australia to visit her sister.

Thomasina added: “The last time I saw my sister was back in 2007.

"So, it would be great to go back out there when we can, it’s been too long.”

The mum-of-four suffered the loss of her son Frankie after he lost his own battle with cancer at the age of 24 but the resilient gran has remained positive, believing she’s finally received some well-deserved luck.

Thomasina said: “My granddaughter said it was meant to be after all our bad luck this year.

'I’m still looking at the cheque and it just doesn’t seem real.”

Five other neighbours were also lucky enough to also win a piece of the £210,000 People’s Postcode Lottery prize.

Husband and wife, John McHugh, 52, and Jackie Hogan, 53, were also elated after finding out they had won £30,000 each.

John said: “I feel overwhelmed, totally overwhelmed. I never ever thought this would happen to us.”

The couple didn’t know each other played the lottery until recently. Jackie said: “I’d been playing it for four years and I only found out John played when he came in the other day and said, ‘I just got a call from the Postcode Lottery’ and I went and checked my phone and said, ‘Well if you’ve won, I’ve won as well!’

The pair are now planning to take some time off work to go on holiday. John said: “We’re going to book a cruise and enjoy ourselves after a really tough couple of years.”

Jackie who works as a carer for West Dunbartonshire council says it’s been a challenging year: “During covid, we’ve both worked pretty much every day.

"It was really bad during the start of the pandemic; I was out from 7 am right through to 11 pm every other day.”

John was quick to point out why his wife was so deserving of some good fortune after caring for her mum and many of her clients in the local area: “We both work really hard, but I know what Jackie’s been through as a carer as well as looking after her mum around the clock who has Alzheimer’s.

“It means I don’t need to work every day. It’s not even the winning of the money, it’s just cheered us all up, no end, because of everything that’s happened this year.

Tam Buckley, 68, was the first to get a knock on the door from Ambassador Jeff Brazier, holding a cheque for £60,000.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted! It means a lot, there will be less worrying for the future and I’ll be able to help my family out as well.”

Tam retired three years ago after working on oil rigs in the North Sea and he said the cash windfall will go towards a new car: “I’d like a new car and so would the wife as we’re using one car between the two of us just now.

"We’d like to travel up north of Scotland to the islands, I’ve been up to Skye before, and I’d like to spend more time up exploring new places.”

Louise Murray, 57, also won £30,000 and was overjoyed at the win, she said: “It’s brilliant, it’ll do a lot for my kids and my family.”

Louise is now planning a holiday to Benalmadena on the southern Spanish coast and says the win will help make Christmas even more special this year: “We want to go away in January and we can have a better Christmas than normal, and I can buy more nice gifts for the kids.”

Louise’s daughter Courtney recently got engaged and asked her mum for a wedding dress after finding out the prize.

Louise laughed and replied: “A wedding dress, a £30,000 one. It will be knowing her!”

People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Jeff Brazier presented the winners with their prize cheques, he said: “What a great way to start your week!

"I had a fantastic time presenting this good news to Tam, Thomasina, Louise, Jackie and John and our other winners in Clydebank.

“Winning with your neighbours is what People’s Postcode Lottery is all about and I’m so pleased this close community are celebrating together. I hope they enjoy their prizes and go and treat themselves with the winnings.”

Every day throughout the November draws one postcode will be announced as a £30,000 prize winner.

All the players in the postcode will win £30,000 for every ticket they hold.

People’s Postcode Lottery costs £10 a month to play and there are guaranteed winners every day. People play with their chosen postcode and are automatically entered into all draws.

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have helped raise over £800 million to date for thousands of good causes across Britain and internationally.

This draw was promoted on behalf of Postcode Justice Trust which supports organisations working to improve lives by delivering justice, human rights and equality through regular grant funding.

Supported charities include Global Witness, Helen Bamber Foundation and Human Rights Watch.