Christmas bonus scratchcard win

Mrs Mitchell said she will continue working at the Budgens store

A woman from Kent scooped £100,000 on the lottery after her supermarket boss bought her a scratchcard for Christmas.

Checkout cashier Rona Mitchell, 45, of Hawkhurst, was given the card as a present by the manager of the village's Budgens store where she works.

Ian Williams said he bought 25 staff the scratchcards out of his own pocket.

Mother-of-three Mrs Mitchell, who won about 10 times her annual salary, said: "I had to double check-it and then sit down and take a deep breath."

I didn't believe her for one minute - I was gob smacked Ian Williams, Budgens manager

She said she decided to wait until after the staff Christmas party to scratch off the card.

"I didn't sleep much that night thinking that this was such a wonderful Christmas."

She rang Mr Williams the next day to tell him about the win but he took some convincing to believe her.

"I didn't believe her for one minute - I was gob smacked," Mr Williams said.

"She said she didn't tell anyone I had bought it from this shop because people might think it was a fix."

'Something nice'

He said: "This is the first win of that size.... it is about 10 times her salary."

He said he bought the cards for the employees for all their hard work because they did not get Christmas bonuses.

"We've never done it before. I just thought I would do something nice - I didn't realise it would be that nice."

Mrs Williams said she planned to pay off her mortgage with the money and hold a New Year's Eve party.

But she pledged to continue working at the store for 30 hours a week.

Mr Williams said: "I am not envious but I do think what would have happened if I had kept it."