DISABLED Fred Gillbanks doesn't want to be a millionaire.

But the Westleigh pensioner would have liked the £125,000 he thought he had won.

Fred, of Grosvenor Road, checked his numbers in a national daily newspaper millionaire's competition, and last week thought his lucky day had come. However he didn't have such good fortune when it came to staking his claim.

He said: "I got the correct numbers and should have won £125,000, but when I tried to claim I couldn't get through - there was no line available.

"I started ringing at 9.32am last Wednesday and finally got through at 2pm on Thursday, when I was told I wouldn't be able to claim."

Not much consolation to Fred that late claims are not accepted. It seems you have to have double luck, in the draw - and on the phone!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.