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    EuroMillions winners in hiding ‘to escape begging letters’

    The couple who bagged the EuroMillions jackpot have gone into hiding after reportedly being harassed with letters begging them for a share of their £161m fortune.

    Britain’s biggest-ever winners Colin Weir, 64, and Christine Weir, 55, may have even been forced to travel abroad after claiming the jackpot in last Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw.

    There are some reports of them fleeing to Spain or Lanzarote, while other sources claim that the couple could be hiding out in the Scottish Highlands.

    The modest pair are believed to have whisked their children off with them as they escape hundreds of desperate monetary demands.

    A local postman from their home town of Largs, Ayrshire, in Scotland, told the Daily Mail: “The begging letters have already started coming. I delivered a pile of them today.”

    “But there are many more piled up at the sorting office. They are just addressed to ‘The Weirs, Largs’ and the manager is deciding whether to deliver them.”

    The Weirs decided to go public with their windfall because they didn’t want to have to lie to family and friends.

    One anonymous local revealed to The Express: “We have not seen them since they were on the TV. No one knows for sure where they are but they mentioned needing time to chat about their win with their family.”

    “They are reported to have flown out of Glasgow en route to Lanzarote – but other people claim they are with the Camelot people. One thing is for sure though, they will have to come back here soon.”


    Speaking with Yahoo! News today, a spokeswoman from Camelot was unable to confirm their current location. She said: “We don’t give out any information of the whereabouts of our winners. Following last Friday’s press conference, they have agreed not to do anymore publicity.”

     

    2,311 comments

    • musicmugger  •  8 months ago
      Bloody idiots, fancy falling into that trap. Should have taken the money and run. Forget the family, beggars, parasites and con men. I'd rather burn what I didn't need than give it to a bunch of scroungers, or foreign illegals who shouldn't be here anyway. The only charities who will cold call, will be those who spend the money given on themselves, When you have that much dough, you can find the deserving charities, and they won't come to pester you; about 8 come to mind, and they are all working for England.
    • Samantha  •  10 months ago
      Congratulations but why on earth did they go public, the response is to be expected. They didnt have to disclose how much money and when they won it to family and friends, they could have waited a while before saying they had a win and downplayed the amount, there are plenty of ways to avoid all the interest in them, they made a huge mistake going public.
      • Kirsty Lund 10 months ago
        thats the thing though. they didnt disclose how much they had won. the lottery and newspapers did at first. saying there was one main winner from uk and the ticket was bought at a certain place. i dont think it's fair on them to be harrassed. i hope they have fun with it. i would have lov%d to win but i wouldnt tell anyone but certain family members who i would share it with. i do agree they shouldnt have gone public with it though @#$% they were just excited
      • R 10 months ago
        I agree with Samantha, I would have waited then told family I'd won some money but not the full amount. I think it's disgusting that people send begging letters. How can you ask complete strangers for money?
      • Aquila 10 months ago
        Charities do it every day, R.
    • Mark  •  10 months ago
      wow, that was clever of yahoo to put up a pic of their house!
    • Xerxes  •  10 months ago
      As the saying goes... "Wealth is relative". The more wealth you have, the more relatives you will acquire.
      • A Yahoo! User 10 months ago
        no money ,means no life
      • bolblizt 10 months ago
        more money, more problems..
      • MarcusLuahChuanGuanIsGay 10 months ago
        They should follow the Chinese by covering their faces with masks so that nobody could recognize them when they claimed their prize money.
    • rococo  •  10 months ago
      Well what else did they expect? Anyone who goes public voluntarily after winning such a huge sum of money surely expects to be bombarded by letters from all over the country and if they didnt they are incredibly stupid!! I wouldnt go public if I won 6 million never mind 161 it's just foolish!!
      • Mary B 10 months ago
        Am with you on your comment they are so siupid, but I wouldn't even go public for 1 million
      • speedloader 10 months ago
        Ayye, if ya wanne fend em jost keep yer eye oot fer significant increases in expenditure directly related to their large tummies
      • ANDREW 10 months ago
        Begging is illegal. Only criminals beg. Yahoo are guilty of aiding and abetting a criminal offence, solicitation to a crimainal offence, and conspiracy to the same.

        That's 2 yrs + 3 yrs + 20 years (max).
    • KlineRewind  •  10 months ago
      As mentioned, there are ways of 'downplaying' it, just moving FAR away and beginning a new life in a nice part of the world, I couldn't think of anything better myself.
      • ElVividor 10 months ago
        true, KlineRewind, most of friend and family are demons anyway...
      • JOHN H 10 months ago
        You must have no real friends.
      • ElVividor 10 months ago
        true, KlineRewind, most of friend and family are demons anyway...
    • pang  •  10 months ago
      They should know that this will happen when they go public right!!!
    • CYNIC  •  10 months ago
      Keep stumm. Sell up and get out. Going public is fatal.
      If they kept out of it they would be virtually unknown.
    • ADRIAN  •  10 months ago
      By going public they put the rest of their family at risk, so it was a bit mistake.
    • Observer  •  10 months ago
      When I won I shunned publicity. It was no one else's business about my financial gain. I still maintain silence concerning my ��5 win. So there!
    • Mike  •  10 months ago
      indeed... they could have kept quiet for a few weeks or months... let it all die down... (there will be new winners only weeks later) and then told family firends. One shouldn't lie for sure, but this is extraordinary, if they can trust family members then they can tell them later and part with bits or whatever. If I won (ugh... wishful thinking) I'd have fun concealing it and taking my time to work out how to keep it all low key etc. no new car for a while... all as normal.. then one day I just move away... new place (other country!!!!!!!!!!!!!), no one knows me... and let rip. Easy... OH well... now they have the problem. Mind you, I had no idea so many people would start to beg. How embarrassing. I took a massive hit thanks to the financial crisis, but i still wouldn't do that. Oh well...
    • ADRIAN  •  10 months ago
      When it was reported on the News, they said if they didn't go public they wouldn't be able enjoy their win....doh.........and one of the things the reporter mentioned was that they would be donating some of the winnings to charity....doh.... explains the flood of begging letters.
      Maybe they ought to have spent at least 5 minutes thinking about it...... :/
    • Tohura  •  10 months ago
      They shouldn't have told the whole world.
      If they kept it to themselves then, they wouldn't be harrased like this.
    • may  •  10 months ago
      DOH!! What ever possessed the Weir's to go public? Surely Camelot must have told them of the consequences. It will be a while before they will be able to even walk out in public.............:o/
    • Hasling  •  10 months ago
      When you make the BIG win, keep your mouth shot.
    • Chuang  •  10 months ago
      Such foolishness to go public. Now they and their kids run the risk of being robbed and kidnapped, and they have to live in constant fear. Prob have to engage security guards to follow them around. Tragic.
    • Michael  •  10 months ago
      Could'nt believe anyone could have been so naive and stupid.Bad move "Camelot" You have exposed them and their Family to a nightmare.
    • Gari  •  10 months ago
      Camelot - another large organization - wanted the free publicity and probably put them under pressure.
      Camelot - Please Note that when I win just do a Bank Transfer to my account, no publicity, thanks.
    • Vulcan  •  10 months ago
      Well Well Well, what were the chances of that happening. God almighty what ever possessed them to go public. They joy was short lived wasn't it.

      Now the misery begins. Stupid people.
    • robin y  •  10 months ago
      sadly this silly pair of winners will be harassed forever. Much better say nothing and blend into some up market place abroad somewhere.Camelot has to take some blame for this as they are used to big winners
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