A YOUNG father, who only nine weeks ago celebrated the birth of his first child, now has another reason to cheer - he’s just scooped £1million on a scratchcard.

Lucky Jamie Kay, from Bournemouth, bought the National Lottery GameStore scratchcard in the New Forest.

The 22-year-old explained: “My uncle and I both work for the family roofing company and had stopped to refuel the vans on the way to the site.

"As I was going in to pay, the bloke in front of me bought a National Lottery scratchcard. I have this ‘thing’ that if someone buys a scratchcard, I take it as a sign and have to buy the same one.”

As his uncle walked to the fast food restaurant next to the garage, he called over for Jamie’s breakfast order.

Jamie said: “I saw that I’d definitely won something but I didn’t look at the prize until I’d finished the whole game. When I did finally reveal the £1 million symbol it took a while to register.

“I don’t know if it was the shock or the adrenalin but I leapt out of the van and started to leap about, whopping and shouting with joy. At that moment my uncle pulled up, and seeing me leaping about said ‘you’re a bit excited for your breakfast aren’t you?’ When I showed him that National Lottery scratchcard I was forgiven the crazy behaviour.”

Jamie contacted Camelot later that day to have the win verified.

“Come 9am I was keen to call Camelot and make sure the win was real,” he said. “I’d already called my partner of four years to share the fabulous news but she didn’t believe a word of it.

“I was desperate to have it all confirmed so she could see it was real and we could make plans for the future. It is a good thing I’m a roofer because in the end the only place I could get reception was standing on the highest point of the roof we were working on.

Now Jamie and his partner will buy their first home, before looking to help out their family.

“Family is my top priority so I’m not going to do anything too reckless,” he said. “But there might be one treat, a nice car to grace the driveway of our new home and take me to play matches for my football team, Merley Cobham Sport.

“Since our son arrived, life has had a magical edge to it. Fatherhood is without doubt the best experience. This win doesn’t quite match the joy we felt at becoming parents but it comes in a close second.”

Jamie, who used to be a development coach at AFC Bournemouth and still coaches youth football, bought his winning £5 card from the Co-op at the Ower services just off J2 of the M27.