A 42-year-old business development executive is celebrating after scooping £100,000 in Halifax Savers' prize draw.
Wayne Shaw from Launceston was the lucky winner of the bank's top £100,000 prize in the May draw.
Wayne is a business development executive for a tobacco company and currently rents a property 25-miles from his fiancé Lyndsay Martin, 29, although they plan to move in together in the near future.
Wayne has booked a holiday to Las Vegas next year — a lifelong dream of his — to celebrate Lyndsay's 30th birthday. The money will also help the couple with their wedding and go towards a deposit for a larger family home.
Wayne registered for the prize draw when he opened a Halifax ISA last year, where he placed his life savings of £5,600.
He said: "To be honest, I'd completely forgotten I'd registered for the draw until I got a letter saying that I was a winner and to make an appointment with the local branch to collect it. At this point I had no idea how much it was, I thought it was probably one of the lower amounts — £100.
"I met my mum for a cuppa before my appointment at the Halifax branch to go and collect my winnings. I remember saying to her 'right, I'm off to claim that £100,000'. I was joking, of course, I thought it might be £100 and mum told me to stop being stupid and that I should be grateful for however much I win.
"When I was told by the branch manager that I had in fact won the top prize, it was a real moment. He was so calm and collected and it was hard to take in. I didn't actually believe him straight away. When I realised he wasn't pulling my leg I welled up and there were hugs all round. As news passed around the branch people screamed and cheered. It was amazing.
"I called my mum and my fiancé Lyndsay, neither of whom believed me to start off with. When Lyndsay realised I was telling the truth she burst into tears, in the middle of the street where she happened to be when I called her."
For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.