A GROCERY store worker has won £70,000 on a scratchcard.

Deborah Maddison, deputy manager at The Co-Operative Food store in Easington Colliery, east Durham, bought two £2 of The National Lottery’s Lucky Fortune scratchcards two days before she was due to fly off to Spain for two weeks’ holiday earlier this month.

She won £4 on the first, then went for a sandwich in the staffroom, where she scratched off the panel on the big winning second card.

She said: “I jokingly said ‘it’s my lucky day’ after my little windfall and sure enough as I looked down I saw three crowns staring back at me.

“I knew instantly that I’d won big – it was plain as day, right there in black and white.”

The 43-year-old married mother-of-one ran straight into the store to tell her workmates, before ringing Lottery operators Camelot, who confirmed her win.

After that, she shared the news with husband Simon, a 46-year-old bus driver.

Mrs Maddison had to finish her shift and work two more days before she could jet off to the Costa Brava and toast her luck.

The couple, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, plan to put their winnings towards buying a new house.

“Simon and I have been looking to move into a new house for over a year now.

“I’m very picky and we just haven’t been able to find our ‘forever home’.

“It’s always been my dream to have a lovely new-build property which is modern and luxurious and ready for us to move into.

“We’ve only been back from our holiday a few days but I’m already lining up lots of viewings as we’d like to be settled in a stunning new house by the autumn.”