Auckland man claims lottery prize 24 hours before ticket's expiry date!

Washington, April 20(ANI): A man in Auckland, New Zealand claimed his lottery prize of 391,581dollars just 24 hours before the ticket would have expired.

He had kept the ticket in a drawer a year ago and forgotten about it.

The first division winning ticket was sold 12 months ago in Ponsonby.

"As far as we're aware this is the first time a major prize has been claimed the day before its expiry date - if the winner had waited another day he would have unfortunately received nothing," Fox News quoted NZ Lotteries chief executive Todd McLeay as saying.

The winner, who did not want to be identified, said: "It's been a stressful year and I completely forgot I had the ticket, until Saturday when I opened the drawer.

"It was a bit faded but I noticed the date on it and thought I'd better get down to the shop quick just in case I'd won anything." (ANI)