A MYSTERY Lotto winner in Suffolk has missed out on a �53,948 jackpot as a lucky ticket has gone unclaimed.

The Christmas windfall will now go to the National Lottery Good Causes fund after a winning ticket was not claimed within 180 days.

The lucky player from St Edmundsbury scooped a bumper jackpot in the Lotto draw on Saturday, June 19 but did not claim their winnings.

A National Lottery spokesman said: “Unfortunately, I can confirm the ticket holder did not come forward within the deadline to claim their prize and has now, sadly, missed out on this substantial amount of money.

“To avoid this unfortunate situation happening again, I would urge all National Lottery players to check their tickets on a regular basis.”

Lucky players must claim their prizes within 180 days of the winning draw.

The unclaimed prize will now go towards the �25 billion already raised for good causes through lottery ticket sales since its launch in November 1994.