PEOPLE in East Lancashire are being warned of a an Olympic lottery scam in which people are told they have won a £500,000 prize.

Lancashire County Council Trading Standards Service has issued the warning after receiving a number of complaints about letters being sent out which have been illegally branded with Olympic logos.

They claim that winners can claim their prize by returning a payment processing form, by fax, with their personal details.

All supposed winnings are to be claimed by the end of April, encouraging recipients to make hasty decisions in case they miss out.

County Coun Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “This is unlikely to be the last Olympic-related scam. The thing to remember is that you can't have won if you haven't entered in the first place.”

Scams can be reported to Action Fraud on 0300 1232040 or Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0845 4040506.