A SERIES of lucky encounters helped a pair of antique dealers scoop almost £1 million on the National Lottery.

Christopher Grundy, aged 36, and Martyn Frost, aged 30, always hoped that one day they would win the lottery. But when a money spider landed on the pair in the kitchen of their Radcliffe home, on Wednesday, they guessed it would be lucky.

And it was - the couple scooped a massive £930,499 that night, and have since been celebrating their lucky jackpot windfall.

Mr Grundy said: "On Thursday I had the day off work, and decided to check the ticket. I could not believe it when I realised we had got six numbers. I checked and rechecked and rechecked again just in case. I was shaking like a leaf. I rang Martyn at work, and said have we done much business today?"

"He said we hadn't but I told him it was alright because we'd won the jackpot. I always thought that when it happened I would keep it to myself, claim the money and then surprise everyone but I just had to tell someone.

"I think it's down to a lot of luck, and everything coming together at the same time. Positive mental attitude I think they call it."

Mr Frost, added: "Christopher is a bit of a wind up merchant and you sometimes can't tell when he's joking, but something was different this time."

And as they had already arranged to go out for a meal at the China Lounge on Bury Old Road, in Prestwich, that night, they decided to take the opportunity to celebrate.

At the restaurant is a swan made from old lottery tickets, which diners consider to be lucky and touch after their meal on the way out.

Mr Grundy said: "I touch it every time we go in there, so maybe some of the luck has rubbed off on me."

The couple often spend around £30 a week on their tickets but this week opted for just £6 on Lotto and £4 on Thunderball.

And after ten years of small wins, the pair, who have lived in Radcliffe for two years, cashed in the ticket they bought from Asda Radcliffe, and plan to spend their win on a new home and a Disney cruise with family.

And while they are making plans for themselves, Mr Grundy and Mr Frost also want to hand over some of their winnings to Childline.

Mr Grundy said: "Childline is a charity very close to my heart. They do amazing work and don't get much publicity. And thanks to our win, I'm glad I am going to be able to make a difference."

The dealers, who own Paraphernalia in Bury Old Road, Prestwich, also hope to expand their business and are looking forward to buying bigger and better antiques for the shop, which they have run together for a year.

Mr Grundy said: "Our shop is a year old next week, and the first year in business is usually the hardest. Weve just started making money, so its nice that we can now make it bigger and better.

"The money will definitely make life easier, but well still carry on working, with a more comfortable lifestyle."