Stolen scratchcard 'winners' lose out

An armed robber stole 900 scratchcards

Lottery fans believing they have hit the jackpot are instead being left out of pocket after buying stolen scratchcards.

Detectives investigating an armed robbery at a post office in Southampton say unsuspecting members of the public have been duped.

Detective Constable Emma Penson said: "We know that several people have tried to cash winning tickets at newsagents and supermarkets across the city.

"But the scratchcard tickets were cancelled by Camelot as soon as they were stolen and are therefore useless.

Staff threatened

"We are now very keen to speak to anyone who has bought scratchcard tickets from a person in Southampton rather than from a newsagent or retailer.

"People may have bought them at a cheap rate suspecting that they were stolen - but we can assure them we are not interested in that, we simply want to find the woman who robbed the post office."

The robbery took place shortly after 0800 GMT on Saturday when a young woman entered the post office in Cumbrian Way, Millbrook, and threatened staff with a handgun, demanding cash.

Before she could be given any money, the woman wrenched a plastic box containing 900 scratchcards from the work-top and escaped on foot in the direction of Oakley Road.