National Lottery winners plan return to work after £1million prize to teach children a lesson
Graeme White said his wife Katherine thought he was joking when he told her about the seven-figure sum
PA
A lucky couple who won a mega million-pound jackpot on the National Lottery have vowed to continue working to "instil a good work ethic" in their two children.
Police officers Graeme White, 35, and his wife, Katherine, 36, have opened up about their plans after winning big on a EuroMillions draw last month - including splashing out on their dream country home - as well as the moment they found out they'd won while shopping at B&M.
The pair have told their bosses at the force that they'll keep at their jobs - but with reduced hours - with Graeme White talking up a better "work-life balance" but admitting "it's important for the children to see us working to instil a good work ethic".
He said he thought "it had to be a mistake" when it emerged the couple had won £1million - a sum he described as "life-changing".
Graeme White said his wife Katherine thought he was joking when he told her about the seven-figure sum
PA
White said: "I play EuroMillions through The National Lottery app and occasionally get a message saying I’ve won something.
"It's usually a couple of quid, so when I saw the message I thought: 'Great, that will pay for a lunchtime meal deal at work tomorrow' - but when I opened the message, it said I had £1,000,000 - plus £3.30.
"It had to be a mistake... In my head, I thought you could only win a couple of quid or the big jackpot - I didn't know about the millionaire maker prize.
"I'm a bit of a joker at times, so when I turned to Katherine, and told her we'd won the EuroMillions, she didn't take me seriously until she saw my phone.
MORE LOTTERY LUCK:
Katherine White said alongside their chickens and goats, they'd always wanted a family dog
PA
"With us both being police officers we see lots of scams so we were a touch suspicious - things like this don't happen to people like us, it just couldn't be real."
White said he and his wife had been shopping the next day while waiting for a call to confirm the win, adding: "I wanted it to be true but couldn’t let myself believe it".
He said: "We both laughed at our first little upgrade as we treated ourselves to a Nero's instead of the usual Greggs coffee... As we strolled around B&M absentmindedly, the phone rang... I took the call and the guy on the phone confirmed the win and actually said: 'Congratulations, you're a millionaire!'.
"I looked at Katherine and she whooped and then welled up. I don't know what the other shoppers must have made of us!"
The police officer said the win "changes everything for us", adding that "it gives us breathing space both physically and financially".
Katherine White said: "We are big Disney fans, so a trip to Disneyland is definitely on the cards for us"
PA
The pair are planning on splashing out on a dream home and a Labrador puppy thanks to the win
PA
"We always wanted to live somewhere rural with plenty of outdoor space for the children - and so we could keep some chickens and goats - but thought that would be something we'd have to wait for years down the line when we were able to downsize.
"Thanks to our amazing lucky break, we don't have to wait - our dream home can become a reality, and we can start house-hunting right away. It's crazy to think, but our 20-year plan has now become our 12-month plan!"
Katherine White said: "We are big Disney fans, so a trip to Disneyland is definitely on the cards for us.
“Closer to home, along with the chickens and goats, we've always wanted a family dog - but just didn't have the space or the time with us both working - it wouldn't have been fair to the dog.
"But now that's changed, we're all excited to get a Labrador puppy - especially the children. We've already started to think of names, and obviously have some National Lottery inspired options on the list including 'Lottie' and 'Millie'!"