Angry Andrew vows never to play Lottery again after three-week wait for £1,500

But Mr Leese's delight soon turned to frustration as he encountered the first of several hoops he would have to jump through to get his cash. The 61-year-old, from Brown Lees, eventually received his winnings this week after StokeonTrentLive intervened on his behalf.

He said: "You have to go online, fill all the forms in, give them your address, and take photographs of the ticket, front and back.

"Then you have to wait for an email from them to get a barcode that you take to the Post Office, for them to scan and print your label off to send to the Lottery people. I rang them three times before I could even get a barcode.

READ MORE: New National Lottery rules explained as winners wait weeks for prize money | The National Lottery was taken over by Allwyn from Camelot in February of this year and new rules have emerged

READ MORE: Cabbie who won on National Lottery six weeks ago 'yet to receive a penny' | Ray Laird, 69, won £800 after buying a ticket at a One Stop on March 2

"Eventually I did get the barcode, I took it into the Post Office, I scanned it, they sent it off — and I heard nothing for a fortnight."

Until February, National Lottery prizes up to £50,000 could be collected instantly from the Post Office. When Allwyn Entertainments took over as the National Lottery's operators in February, the Post Office did not renew its contract with the firm.

Now prizes over £500 must be claimed directly from the National Lottery. The bureaucracy encountered by Mr Leese delayed his sending the tickets off to Allwyn to April 6. Mr Leese, who has been playing the National Lottery since 1994, expected to return home from a holiday to a cheque in the post, but none was to be found.

He said: "I didn't know where I stood. I rang the Lottery back again, and they said it was handed now to their security.

"The guy at Royal Mail told me the Lottery had to put a claim in against them for the loss of the ticket. This is a system that the National Lottery has put in place since they have taken over.

"I have won before on the lottery, and I've gone into the Post Office the next day and got my money. There were no issues there at all when Camelot had it. But when I ring them [Allwyn], I just get fobbed-off."

Mr Leese added: "I don't trust the National Lottery any more. I have done it from day one, and I'll never do it again while this company is running it.

"That takes away my chances of ever winning anything life-changing. Not only me, but other people; older people can't do what this company wants them to.

"You've got to do everything online if you win over £500. Why this company has been given the licence when they have no infrastructure in place I don't know."

Royal Mail said Mr Leese's tracked parcel was only delivered April 29, three weeks and two days after it was sent. After StokenTrentLive contacted Allwyn Entertainments, Mr Leese received his prize money.

A spokesperson for Allwyn Entertainments said: "We're very sorry to hear of Mr Leese's concerns and have been in touch with him with an update. This is a new claims process we've had to introduce following the Post Office's decision to no longer pay National Lottery retail prizes between £500.01 and £50,000.

"As a result of it being new, we've been experiencing higher volumes of players contacting us and some initial delays to players receiving their prizes. We've since increased the number of colleagues to assist with claims - which is helping us send out prizes more quickly - and are continuing to work to make improvements to the process.

"For example, we recently started a trial where anyone winning under £1,000 no longer needs to send in their winning ticket to us to help speed up the process. We'd like to reassure anyone affected that they will receive their prize."

Royal Mail said: "We can confirm the letter was delivered on Monday 29 April."

Sign up to our main daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.