Lucky cornflake trip

A starving student has walked out of his corner shop £100,000 richer after spending the change from some cornflakes on a scratchcard.

On Sunday, Paul Thomas popped out of his student house in Pen-y-Wain Road, Cardiff, to buy some cereal and bought a National Lottery Scratchcard with the £1 change.

The 24-year-old said he was too hungry to scratch off the numbers in the shop and waited until he got home. Mr Thomas said: "I hadn't gone out with the plan of buying a scratchcard - I just wanted some breakfast. It was a spur of the moment thing. I was so hungry I didn't bother scratching the card in the shop, I did it back at home while eating my cornflakes. When all the noughts came up, I just couldn't believe my eyes."

From Llanfair Caereinion in Mid Wales, Mr Thomas is in his final year of a business studies degree at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. He said he had to double-check the numbers at least ten times and then get his housemate to verify them.

The student is delaying the celebrations until his 4,000 word final assignment is completed. Top of his shopping list is a holiday for his parents to visit relatives in Australia and he is also planning a trip to Brazil with his girlfriend.

A dream car is also on his list - an Escort Cosworth - but he will also keep his current car, a Peugeot 106 for day-to-day use.

Paul added: "I won't go mad and blow all the money. After the holidays and the car, I'll invest the rest of the money - probably in a house. It's a really great start to life after three years of being a student."