A man has gone from "rags to riches" after winning £1.2m on a scratch card.

Builder and landscape gardener Paul Wasley, 31, was "over the moon" after buying the winning National Lottery Super Rich scratch card at Pari’s News in Upper High Street, Epsom, on Saturday afternoon.

He will now receive £100,000 a year for the next 12 years.

A stunned Mr Wasley told the Epsom Guardian today: "I didn’t believe it at first, I was excited. It was strange. I’m really excited but it still hasn’t sunk in properly because I haven’t got it yet."

A friend, who asked not to be named, said: "I’m over the moon, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. He’s been through so much and it’s great to see a success story. It’s a rags to riches story."

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She said he had split up with his girlfriend and ended up losing his flat and his dog. She said: "Now he can get everything back, it’s amazing really. He was on his knees, now he's back up and it's great."

Mr Wasley went out and celebrated on Saturday, but the money hasn't gone to his head and he was back doing at work this week.

He said: "I’m going to save some for a few years then obviously I want to buy a house.

"When the money comes through I want to get properties and rent them out. I want to build houses up. I’m going to have a nice holiday, somewhere hot."

He has just moved into a room in Ewell from Epsom where he lived for 10 years.

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Shann Mamtora, 23, from Pari’s News said a customer came in at 3.15pm on Saturday, bought a £2 scratch card and won £10.

Mr Mamtora said: "He was like ‘give me a £5 note and a £5 scratch card’. He went outside for about a minute and scratched it.

"He came back in and I could see him at the back of the queue. His face was glowing and he kept looking at the scratch card."

Mr Wasley then jumped to the front, grabbed Mr Mamtora’s arm and asked if he had won. Mr Mamtora looked down at the scratch card - he had won £100,000 a year for the next 12 years.

He said: "I was elated for him, I was jumping for joy for him. I don’t think he could quite believe what was happening. He’s the luckiest man in the world.

"I held it in my hand. There’s nothing in the shop worth more than a tenner and there was a ticket worth over a million pounds. I traded it for a five pound note. I’m happy for him, bless him."

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He said another customer won £5,000 a few months ago but nobody else had ever won this big before at his shop. News has travelled fast and he said: "Since then so many people have come in saying ‘I heard someone won the jackpot’."

Umesh Mamtora, 52, owner of Pari’s News, said: "The customer was very excited, he was over the moon. There are only four jackpot scratch cards in the UK and one happened to be in my shop.

"I wish I had won that, you’re set-up for life."

Camelot press office refused to comment.