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An army veteran from Somerset has secured a £500,000 lottery prize on a game he had entirely forgotten he was still entering. Rick Robinson, 58, from Street, initially dismissed the telephone call informing him of his windfall as a prank.

The former soldier had completely lost track of his ongoing Postcode Lottery subscription. He only began to believe the caller's claims after ending the conversation and verifying the direct debit payment in his banking application.

Mr Robinson discovered he had won £250,000 on each of his two tickets. "I thought it was a joke initially when I got a call from someone claiming to be from Postcode Lottery and they said, 'You've won a prize'. I thought, 'No, I haven't'," he said.

His reaction to the total sum remained one of astonishment. "I can't even comprehend how much that is," Mr Robinson said. "It's insane, an absolutely incredible amount of money."

Mr Robinson enlisted in the army in 1985 and served with the 19th Regiment Royal Artillery. He spent much of his military service stationed in Dortmund, Germany.

His time in uniform lasted approximately six-and-a-half years, which included a period serving in a special operations troop. He made the decision to leave the armed forces after extended separations from his eldest child, Grant.

Following his departure from military life, Mr Robinson developed a career in warehouse operations. He eventually progressed to the position of warehouse operations manager.

He and his wife Sharon, 56, have four children together. The couple also have four grandchildren, with a fifth expected to arrive later this year.

Their youngest daughter, Rosie, is anticipating her first child in late November.

The windfall arrived at a particularly opportune moment for the Robinson household. Their terraced property, which dates back 170 years, had suffered severe flooding damage just weeks earlier.

The couple spent approximately six weeks attempting to dry out their home. Dehumidifiers and fans operated continuously throughout this period, with substantial repair expenses anticipated.

Mr Robinson intends to use a portion of the prize money to clear their outstanding mortgage. Once that financial obligation is settled, he and Mrs Robinson plan to focus on restoring a 1980s caravan they have named "Myrtle the Turtle".

The lottery win has eased immediate financial pressures. The couple faced significant bills for repair work following the flood damage to their home.

Mr Robinson was among eight neighbours in the street who shared the lottery prize. The winning postcode landed the monthly £250,000 prize on Saturday, 29th August, generating collective winnings of £2.25 million.

Further along the same road, Tel Hayes, 77, and his wife Morveen, 81, secured £250,000 of their own. The couple recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and have scheduled a cruise to the Norwegian fjords for October.

Mr Hayes spoke of the relief the money would bring. "It's just the thought of not having to consider about money again, you know, things like the plumber who's coming over tomorrow," he said.

He added once the tradesman had completed his work, the couple planned to purchase new attire for their holiday. "But after the plumber's been, we'll go out and buy Mo a few dresses for the cruise," Mr Hayes said.