A syndicate of 10 Aberdeen ambulancemen yesterday picked up the nearly #2.5m they won in Saturday night's National Lottery draw exactly two years to the day since they chose the lucky numbers.

As they collected their cheques, totalling #2,352,326, from Camelot's office in Glasgow, they claimed that their success came thanks to a lucky teapot.

One of the winners, Mr Derek Sangster, 43, explained: ''We put 49 pieces of paper into the teapot and everyone had the chance to draw out their six numbers.

''We can hardly believe that we've won - I went as white as a ghost and couldn't focus on the television. I rang another colleague and he just screamed down the phone. We haven't had a chance to celebrate the win together yet, but a big party is certainly on the cards.''

However, the winners yesterday began drawing up shopping lists that included new cars, holidays and paying-off mortgages.

The winning numbers were chosen by bachelor Russell Webster, 33, who said he was planning to buy a new car - preferably a BMW -- and a large house.

''Maybe it will attract the right woman,'' he joked. ''I play a lot of golf so I may upgrade my equipment and get some better clubs. It's all come as such a shock I don't know where I am.''

Mr Brian Allan, 41, who was given the job of looking after the winning ticket, said he did not sleep all night.

''I just sat with the ticket grasped in both hands and watched Teletext all night. I had to work early shift the next day so I locked the ticket in my locker at work. But I had to keep going back to check it was still there in case somebody decided to run off with it.''

Despite their new-found wealth they all intend to continue as ambulancemen.

Meanwhile, someone living in Strathclyde has scooped the #1m Premium Bond jackpot for April. The winner becomes the scheme's 37th millionaire since the first draw was made in June 1957.

The winning bond number is 67 MZ 837234.