YOU are more likely to win a major National Lottery prize in the Middlesbrough area than anywhere else in the country, according to latest statistics.

According to figures, most recently updated in May last year, the hottest post codes are Cleveland (TS) and Romford (RM), closely followed by Warrington (WA), Liverpool (L), Newport (NP) and Newcastle (NE).

The postcodes are ranked by the number of major prizes of £50,000 or more won per head of adult population since the National Lottery began.

The TS postcode, which includes Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Stockton, has more winners per head than anywhere else in the country.

The South East remains the area with most of lottery millionaires.

Some 691 Lottery millionaires live in the South East, just ahead of the Midlands with 687, according to Camelot statistics on where winners lived when they made their claim.

The Midlands just edges out the South East as the home of winners of £50,000 or more - at 5,705 ahead of the South East's 5,221.

Scotland is still home to the largest lottery win claimed in the UK - £161 million, won in 2011 by Colin and Chris Weir from Largs in North Ayrshire - and to 472 other winners of £1 million or more.

Now it adds Fred and Lesley Higgins, from Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, who have scooped a EuroMillions win of £57,975,367 from the draw on July 10.

Northern Ireland is at the bottom of the table, with 117 winners of £1 million or more and 748 of £500,000 or more.

London is home to 611 winners of £1 million or more, followed by the North West with 595.

The statistics, which include both publicity and non-publicity winners, reveal the top 10 postcodes are:

TS - Cleveland

RM - Romford

WA - Warrington

L - Liverpool

NP - Newport

NE - Newcastle Upon Tyne

ME - Medway

SR - Sunderland

WN - Wigan

BR - Bromley