By April Mitchinson

A DUNDEE convenience store that sold a £100,000-winning National Lottery scratchcard is being inundated with customers hoping to enjoy similar success.

As the holder of the winning ticket continues his bureaucratic battle to pocket the cash, staff at the Spar on Ballindean Road in Douglas said they are still coming to terms with the news.

Shop assistant Calvin Dodds said, “Nobody could believe it until we saw it in the newspaper today. We just can’t believe we sold it in our shop—I don’t think we’ve sold a ticket that’s won that kind of money before.”

William Hamilton won the top prize of £100,000 after buying a 100 Grand scratch card for £2 from the store on Sunday afternoon, but the 52-year-old was told by Camelot Group, which operates the National Lottery, it will not pay out until he can provide suitable identity and urged him to get a bank account to deposit the money into.

Mr Hamilton, who claims he does not have a bank account, passport or driver’s licence, is in a race against time to get the ID and a bank account before the 180 day deadline for making the claim.

After spending a full day trying to find a solution to his problem, Mr Hamilton claims to be no further forward.

“I got an up-to-date letter from my doctor to go with the photo he signed and I’ve got a new letter from Servite housing with my new address on it,” he said.

“But I still don’t think that’s enough. Camelot phoned my sister Janet and said they’re happy to give us a crossed cheque but not an open one.

“I believe it’ll take six to eight weeks and cost around £50 to get a passport—maybe I’ll have to do that at the end of the day, because I don’t want to have to go to Glasgow and wait in line all day if I don’t have to, but tomorrow is another day and I can always try again then.”

Meanwhile Camelot, which is still refusing to confirm or deny Mr Hamilton’s win, said there were a number of options available to a winner experiencing identification problems.

A spokesman said, “There are a range of acceptable forms of identification for our winners.”

He continued, “On the occasion that a winner does not have a bank account or identification we offer advice and support on what you need and how to get it—we really do bend over backwards to help out our winners.”

The spokesman said the rules regarding payment and identification were in place to protect the integrity of the National Lottery and the winners themselves.

He said, “Winners have up to 180 days after the closing date of the game to collect their prize, and while I can’t comment on the banks’ criteria for opening an account, I think it’s safe to say it could be done within that time frame.”

According to a British Banking Association spokesperson, typical forms of identification that could be requested when opening a bank account are a current passport, a current full driving licence, a pension or benefit book or a council tax bill.

The spokesperson said, “Since 1994, when the Money Laundering Regulations became law, all banks, building societies and other businesses providing financial services have had to put procedures in place to stop criminals from using them to launder their ‘dirty’ money.

“This includes the need to obtain proof of identity from anyone who wishes to open an account or buy any financial product or service from them.”