Couple who won £10,000-a-month for 30 years on the lottery ditch jobs to become professional ghost hunters

Laura Hoyle, 40, and Kirk Stevens, 38, scooped £10,000 a month for the next 30 years after matching all six numbers in the Set For Life draw last March.

The lucky pair were completely unaware they had won the life-changing amount for almost two weeks and carried on playing the game believing they had won just £5.

It was only when Laura got a message from Camelot and logged into her account that she realised they had landed the top jackpot prize.

A year on from their win, video footage has been released of the incredible moment the couple heard the confirmation they had just become millionaires.

Laura can be seen on the phone exclaiming "you're joking! I think I am going to be sick” as the Camelot call-handler breaks to them the good news.

Laura says the win still "feels surreal" and she has now ditched her job to become a professional paranormal investigator alongside manufacturing engineer Kirk.

Laura, of Hucknall, Notts., said: "Kirk and I are participating in lots more paranormal activities and I’m editing the videos we take which I absolutely love doing.

"I’m getting better and better at editing and the other month one of our videos was voted by a top ghost hunting YouTuber, one of his videos of the week.

"It’s as if I’m getting paid to video edit, for the next 30 years.

“Without the win we wouldn’t have been able to tick off a huge bucket list item - visit the National Justice Museum in Nottingham out-of-hours and spend time there investigating.

"There have been many trips and there will be many more."

Recalling the life-changing telephone call, Laura added: “I got an alert just after the draw saying there was ‘good news about my ticket’ but I just assumed I had won a fiver.

“I even kept on playing for several more Set For Life draws before I got an email from The National Lottery requesting I log into my account and check my messages.

"I thought that was odd and even asked Kirk whether he thought it was real or not.

"It was a Friday afternoon, I was working from home and I finally checked my account and saw there were lots of notifications there.

"It was then that the penny finally dropped that we should call Camelot fast.

“I was physically shaking as I told the lady, ‘I think I’ve won the lottery.’

“It was so weird saying those words. I kept thinking this must be a joke; it can’t be happening to us.

"And the ridiculous part was that, as I waited for Camelot to call me back, I still had to join work meetings online.

"I could hardly speak, let alone make any sense.

“It still hasn’t really sunk in. I say that, yet I immediately quit my job and I’m doing stuff I normally wouldn’t have been able to do. I guess it’s all still surreal.

“I am so chilled about everything now, very relaxed and that is what the win has done for me.

"We are moving into a new house this month and it’s so stress free because I don't work now."

Engineer Kirk is also a highly skilled carpenter and says he is going to use both talents to create a new business.

He said: “I want to make paranormal investigation products using my woodwork and electronic skills.

"I know what people want, I have the skill set and I now have the opportunity to make it work.

"I’m in my last year of my Masters degree in mechanical engineering.

"As Laura said, the win has enabled us to relax about bills. I have used the winnings to pay for the course.

"I want to continue working and progress which was the reason for the Masters."

Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery, said: “I’ve seen every type of emotion when delivering the big news.

"Tears, laughter, screaming, absolute silence and total disbelief - just like Laura’s reaction.

“Some put on their posh ‘telephone voice’, while others like Laura and Kirk are just themselves and the beauty of their winning moment is that it was captured on camera.”

Laura and Kirk bought their £1.50 winning Set For Life Lucky Dip ticket online via the National Lottery app.

The winning Set For Life numbers for the draw on March 1 were 9, 14, 19, 35, 37 and the Life Ball was 6.