For before Susan Crossland bought her winning ticket she had been coming across white feathers - said to be an angel's calling card.

She believes her dad Barrie - who she calls her guardian angel - was sending her a message about an impending slice of luck.

It arrived in spectacular fashion on Saturday night when Susan and husband Michael matched six numbers to scoop £1.2m on the lottery.

Susan, 44, from Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, said: "It was my birthday on Friday and all the last week I had been seeing white feathers everywhere. It was also around the anniversary of dad's death.

"I think the feathers must have been a message, because it was his old numbers that we won on.

"It's just a shame he didn't live to see it happen. He would have been really pleased - he'd have loved it.

"But I know that he's up there looking after me."

Although Susan and dairy worker Michael, 39, watched Saturday's lottery draw they didn't check their tickets until the next morning on Teletext.

To their delight, their first three lines won them £10 and two £32 prizes - but the big win came on the fourth.

Michael said: "We saw those three and thought out luck was in. We were more than happy with £74. Then we got to the bottom numbers and we couldn't believe our eyes."

Mum-of-four Susan added: "I knew immediately that we had won because I recognised dad's numbers. I started screaming and running around the house and then I went to wake up the children to tell them, too.

"I don't think they believed us at first!"

She said the couple had not drawn up a shopping list and their only new purchase was so far a new Scalextric kit for their youngest son.

They also planned to carry on with their dream of becoming foster carers and would move to a bigger house.

Housewife Susan said: "The wheels were already in motion and we had found a house but we were having to wait until we had sold our house. Now we will be able to move straight away.

"We've wanted to be foster carers for a while. I love being a mum and to be a mum to another little child would be fantastic. I really like to help them, they would be coming to a very happy little family."

Other than that, the couple say their lives won't change much.

Indeed the day after their win Michael went back to work at Kershaw's Dairy - at 3.30am - and Susan went to do her usual shop at budget supermarket Netto.

Susan, whose lucky numbers were 6, 9, 13, 18, 29 and 30, added: "Knowing you have the money is great but we won't change."

And Michael said he had no plans to give up the job he loves.

He added: "It's outdoors, it's no stress and the cows don't argue with you!"