A MUM who was struggling to raise spending money for her holiday is celebrating winning the lottery and becoming a millionairess.

Overjoyed Annette Dawson was on a break in Bulgaria when she scooped £1 million in the EuroMillions Mega Friday draw.

Mrs Dawson, who has just celebrated her 40th birthday, was with her husband Andrew, aged 44, when she discovered she had won.

The Bolton mother-of-two said: “Life really does begin at 40.

"What has happened to me and my family is absolutely phenomenal there is no other word for it.

"It is a dream come true. I always thought people like us don’t win the lottery.

"We were struggling to get spends together for the holiday, and Andrew’s mum had paid for the flights.”

Mrs Dawson, who always plays the lottery online, received an e mail in Bulgaria telling her to check her National Lottery account.

Unable to access her account from abroad, she texted her sister back home and asked her to check to see if they could have any extra money to spend on holiday.

Mrs Dawson, who also won a dream holiday to the island of Song Saa off the Cambodian coast as part of the prize, said: “My sister initially texted and said she thought I had won £1,000 and then there was another text saying you have won £1 million, call me now, you have got to call me immediately. 

“I really thought it was a wind up as my sister is always playing jokes on me. I phoned her straight away and she just burst out crying — so I knew it must really be true.

“I shook when I heard. It didn’t really sink in properly until the Monday. I cried, I would never have to worry ever again — we were literally struggling to pay the bills.”

The couple decided to go on a spending spree in Bulgaria.

“The only thing I could find to buy was a suit for myself which cost £38,” she said, “Everything is so cheap there”.

Mrs Dawson wore the very same suit when she stepped of the helicopter for a champagne celebration.

Mrs Dawson, who is an accountant at Carr and Hume Estate Agents in Swinton, and her husband, a retail manager at ski shop at Rivington Alpine in Adlington, have no plans to give up work. 

Mrs Dawson, also a student at the University of Bolton, said: “I absolutely love my job so will definitely be continuing to work —I promised I would be returning.

"I just can’t believe that I will never have to worry about money ever again. We can pay off all our debts and our mortgage and ensure our two daughters have a great nest egg for their futures.”

Mrs Dawson has put a deposit on her dream car — an Audi TT — and her husband wants a Jeep.

She said: “Members of my family who haven’t previously played the lottery on a regular bases have now started to play too. My brother said that this just proves families like us can win. 

“There are no words which can described the feelings I am going through right now — knowing I will never ever have to worry about money ever again and never again will I be penny-pinching. I can now live the dream of winning the lottery — because I have.

The couple will be flying to the island with friends. But the couple say they will continue going on their winter ski holidays, which they have done a budget.

But the family say they will not change and continue going on the holidays they did before becoming millionaires.

Mr Dawson laughed: “It won’t change us, I will still be at the back of the queue at the bar.”

His wife added: “I will be at the front!”