Hinckley plasterer wins £1.4million prize

A plasterer from Hinckley has vowed to give his daughter the childhood he never had, after he became a millionaire by winning an online competition.

Ashley Jacques won a four-bedroom luxury home, a Rolls Royce, a Lamborghini and cash - totalling £1.4 million in value - when he entered a prize draw run by Elite Competitions. 

The 29-year-old who grew up on a council estate, wishing for things that most of his friends had, promised “my daughter is going to have everything I always wanted” after scooping the prize.

Recalling his hardship as a young boy, Ashley told Elite Competitions:

“Things were quite difficult growing up. We had a hard life. My dad has multiple sclerosis and me and my sister had to look after him a lot. My parents split up when I was two and we moved to a council estate on the outskirts of Hinckley, in a place called Kin. We got by, dad put clothes on our back, he looked after us and made sure we were safe, warm and fed. But there were lots of things that my friends around me had that I didn’t. I didn't have nice clothes, or nice trainers. My friends went on holidays with their families. We couldn't go away on family holidays. All I ever wished for then was to have a few of the things that other people had. It really was quite tough.”

Ashley said he spent £50 on tickets to bag the prize bundle.

On how his big win would change his life, the new father said:

“It has changed everything for me. I think because growing up I didn't really have much it has made this even more emotional and special for me. I know that my daughter is now going to have everything that I always wanted. I'm going to put some money away for my daughter, to invest in her future,” he explained. “That's the first thing I'm doing before I think about anything else.”

Ashley will also use some of his new wealth to build up his business but also wants to take his daughter on her first family holiday.