$5m Lottery win - day after divorce

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A British man has won £2.3 million (NZ$4.9 million) on the lottery, just one day after finalising his divorce to his wife, UK media reports say.

Fifty-year-old Kevin Halstead spent last Friday with his friends after the divorce was completed before buying a lottery ticket the next day, the Daily Express reported.

"Kevin's divorce dragged on for a couple of years," the Express quoted his friend as saying.

"Everything was settled on Friday so he went out and got drunk. On Saturday he decided to spend his last quid on a lottery ticket.

"He checked the papers next morning and saw he'd won half the jackpot."

But Mr Halstead said he held no ill-feelings towards his ex-wife and she was still a good friend.

"'We split up 13 years ago but we did not bother divorcing until four months ago because of our daughter," he told the Daily Mail.

"She is a very good friend. I go round and have cups of tea with her and her new partner. We have had a giggle about that this morning."

His ex-wife, 48-year-old Helen, told the Express she was not upset.

"We've been separated a long time. We are the best of friends. In fact, we get on better now than when we were married. It couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. I wish him all the luck in the world - he deserves it.

"All I'll say is I won £5 on a scratchcard on Saturday."

Mr Halstead said his first priority was to get a passport for his current partner, Josephine Jones, so that she could travel overseas for the first time.

He also wanted to buy a pony for his 14-year-old daughter Jessica.

- © Fairfax NZ News