A retired builder from Eltham is dreaming of a caravan in Clacton-on-Sea after scooping the Thunderball £500,000 top prize.

Alf Boorman, 63, of Westbourne Terrace, was grabbing a breakfast with his son at a cafe when his wife Rita, 63, called him to tell him the good news.

With the money safely in the bank, the pair are now looking towards the future.

Mr Boorman said: "Rita has always dreamt of owning a caravan in Clacton, that seemed a pipe-dream but not any longer.

"We are heading there in August, cheque book at the ready, to buy a brand new caravan.

"Now if that's not the stuff of dreams, what is?"

For Mr and Mrs Boorman, spending time with their three sons and five grandchildren is very important and will be made much easier when they buy their brand new holiday home.

Mr Boorman plays Thunderball every week with his own numbers but relies on Mrs Boorman to buy his ticket and his 89 year-old mother-in-law Flo to check his numbers.

When Mr Boorman received the call from his wife on May 17 saying they'd won £500,000, he was so sure it was a mistake he told her to double-check and hung up.

"I'm generally quite laid back but when your wife rings you to say that you are half a million quid better off it doesn't half get your heart racing, I nearly choked on my bacon sarnie."

Despite the news, Mr Boorman carried on helping his son with a few jobs before heading home to sign the back of the ticket.

He added: "I worked in demolition for years then I became a builder so I know the meaning of hard work but despite all those years of graft, there's never been much spare cash.

"Now that's all changed we can start to really enjoy our retirement and time with the family."

Incredibly, Mr Boorman's win comes 30 years after his father won the Pools, so his sons are hoping that luck runs in the family.