A COUPLE from East Lancashire are celebrating after relatives scooped £177,356 on the National Lottery.

The win was netted by Peter and Jean Howard, who live near Kingston in Surrey.

Their son and daughter-in-law, Darren and Sheena Howard, live in Burnley with their seven-month-old daughter, Abigail.

Mrs Howard is head of music at Rhyddings High School, Oswaldtwistle, and her husband is a science teacher at Walton-le-Dale High School.

Mrs Howard said: "If anybody deserves it they do. We are absolutely thrilled for them.

"They have put it in the bank and not spent any of it yet.

"They have not seen that much money in their lives and I don't think it's sunk in."

Her parents-in-law, who have two sons and three daughters, plan to share some of their good fortune with their family.

Mrs Howard said: "They are giving us a little bit out of it, not a lot because they were aiming to buy a new house. Now they can do that."

Mr Howard, 60, a plastics company foreman, is also bringing forward his retirement.

Rumours had circulated that it was Sheena who had hit the cash jackpot.

She said: "I wish it had been me, but I certainly do the lottery now."

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