by Simon Tulett

A lucky shop where a family scooped an £8 million Lottery jackpot has become a magnet for hopeful punters.

The Costcutter store, in Fleetdale Parade, Dartford, has seen a sudden rise in custom since the Newtons walked away with the cash haul, having bought a Lucky Dip ticket there.

Superstitious punters are even rubbing the Lotto machine for good luck and insist on standing on the shop's 'lucky spot', installed since the win on July 8.

Store manager, Bala Selladurai, says he has seen a noticeable increase in Lottery hopefuls in the last month.

He said: "The win has been the talk of Dartford. Some of the things our customers have been doing to try to bring themselves good fortune have been remarkable.

"It's quite clear people are hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Newtons and are giving it a go."

The Newton family bagged the giant £7,985,672 cheque after taking a punt on a Wednesday rollover and matching the winning numbers - 10, 16, 21, 22, 35, and 49.

Head of the syndicate, Ted Newton, 69, had bought tickets for the family for each Saturday draw since The National Lottery started in 1994.

He shares it with wife Marilyn, 65, sons Darren, 39, and Stephen, 34, and daughter Sarah, 36.

Their children, who each pocketed £1,597,134.40, were lucky they did not miss out on the prize altogether - they each owed their parents about £1,000 in overdue lottery syndicate payments.

Ted and Marilyn Newton, of Fleet Road, Dartford, have already started to make plans for the cash, with a holiday to see the northern lights and a new car to tow their caravan top of their wish list.