For richer, not poorer

AN ENGAGED couple are to begin married life with a half-a-million pound dowry after winning big on the People's Postcode Lottery.

EH15 lovebirds Paul Phair and Gillian Howitt will be exchanging vows in a fortnight with a buoyant bank balance having scooped 416,158 at a star-studded draw held in Jewel Park yesterday.

The Corbieshot pair - aged 38 and 30 - are due to wed exactly seven years after they first started dating and now plan an "unforgettable" Mexican honeymoon.

Former X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon provided live entertainment while current Miss Scotland Nicola Mimnagh made an appearance before the lucky winners were announced.

Bank worker Miss Howitt said: "I'm physically shaking right now and just cannot believe that we have won so much money. We have no idea what we are going to do with it but it will mean we have a nice wedding."

Her fiance said: "I'm sure Gillian will have lots of ideas as to how we'll spend our money, but we'll definitely consider buying a new home together."

The other big winner, equalling Gillian and Paul's haul, is their neighbour Rita Bunyan, 83.

She said: "I've lived in Corbieshot for over 15 years and this is just brilliant."

The pensioner said she will share the winnings with her family.A total of 123 EH15 residents - from the Duddingston, Joppa and Jewel areas of the city - shared a record 2.2 million rollover pot, with each player winning a minimum of 2959.

Castlebrae Primary School cleaner Valerie Barr, 65, was the third-highest winner with 49,123 and promises to send her relatives on holiday.