An impulse purchase has left a New Romney man £100,000 better off.

Clinton Coffey, 22, is flying high after winning the substantial sum on a £4million Blue Scratchcard, from National Lottery GameStore, on Monday.

He had popped into St Mary’s Bay Superstore, in Jefferstone Lane, in Romney Marsh, to buy himself a drink when he decided to treat himself to a scratch card and save the change in his pocket.

Mr Coffey, a heating engineer, explains: “I go to the gym most days but I’m always forgetting change for the lockers.

“When I stopped for the drink, I was just about to use the £1 in my pocket when I decided to hang onto it, pay on card instead and meet the minimum card payment by treating myself to a scratchcard.

“I was already having a good day, the sun was shining and my jobs that morning had gone well so all was well in my world when I hopped back into the van, I had no idea how much better it was just about to get!”

He played the first game on the card, which revealed three £10s.

He adds: “I was pretty happy with that £30 win.

“It was the most surreal experience, revealing £10,000 after £10,000." - Clinton Coffey

"Then I played the next game and I revealed £10,000, and instead of going totally crazy with excitement some rational part of my brain kicked in and I thought ‘£10,030 is a weird amount’ so I went back and completely removed all the foil from the first game to see it wasn’t £30, but £30,000!”

Finding it hard to believe what was happening, he continued to play the rest of the games which revealed further wins in £10,000 increments.

When he came to the end of the game and totted it all up, Mr Coffey was left speechless when he realised his scratchcard was worth £100,000.

“It was the most surreal experience, revealing £10,000 after £10,000,” he adds.

“I kept checking I had it right and I was so sure it couldn’t be happening to me that I actually looked out of the van to see if there was a camera crew and it was some cruel wind-up!

“After I’d told mum and dad, my best mate and girlfriend it started to become far more real, but the reality was I had to get back to work so the celebrating was put on hold until later that day.

“I think my clients must have had the best service ever that afternoon, I was certainly smiling a lot!”

Mr Coffey - who was tempted to buy a new Nissan GTR - now plans to invest his winnings in property, but will splash out on a new a new dirt bike after having to sell his last one.

He adds: “While a part of me wants to dash out and buy that Nissan, fate has dropped this money in my lap and I’m going to make the absolute most of it.

"I’ve always intended to get into property but it was always going to take time to get enough money together to get started.

"Now, with one twist of fate, and those gym lockers, I’ve got the money so there’s nothing holding me back!”

The £4million Blue Scratchcard offers a 1 in 3.06 overall chance of winning a prize. The card costs £10 and prizes range from £10 up to the top prize of £4million.