Family row over 'stingy' Lotto winners

Jun 26 2007 By Steve Johnson, Birmingham Mail

A LUCKY pensioner who won more than £9 million on the National Lottery has sent her only brother a cheque for just £1,000.

Pensioners Irene and Ron Jones from Bilston, Wolverhampton, pledged to "look after" close relatives when they scooped £9.3 million last October.

Irene, aged 69, had said at a champagne press conference at Wolverhampton's Park Hall Hotel: "The one thing for sure is that I am going to take my time and ensure all my loved ones are taken care of."

But her brother, Len Powell, and his wife, May, have been left dismayed after being sent the "stingy" amount, it was reported today.

The couple, from Telford, Shropshire, were on holiday when the envelope came in the post and their son Mark opened it, expecting to find a bumper cheque.

He was stunned to find a cheque for just £1,000. With it was a handwritten note from Irene, saying: "Hope this will help you out with the struggle with money."

May called the gift "stingy" but added: "I'm not really suprised - Irene and Ron always did watch the pennies.

"Our friends said 'is that all you've been given?'. But we've decided to look on it as a bonus and have sent Irene a thank you letter."

May and Len plan to put the £1,000 towards a walk-in shower. Irene and Ron have stayed in their home town of Bilston but have fulfilled their dream by moving from their former council house into a £300,000 bungalow.

Irene said: "I'm not saying anything about money because it only stirs things up."