A RETIRED seat fitter missed out on his dream Lottery jackpot by just one number.

Bill Buchan was within touching distance of a half a million pound windfall which would have changed his and his family’s lives forever.

But his wildest hopes of buying fancy cars, swish houses and luxurious foreign holidays were dashed when a single digit was out of place.

The winning numbers of the National Lottery Dream Number draw were: 2, 3, 7, 2, 0, 8 and 4.

Mr Buchan numbers were remarkably close – 2, 3, 7, 3, 0, 8 and 4.

To win first prize, players have to get all seven numbers correct and in the right order.

The 79-year-old’s ticket shows just how near his miss was – all the right numbers were in the right place except for an errand 3 in the middle.

The Wimblington resident said: “It is really unlucky. The chances of coming so close are probably the same as the chances of winning.”

The former upholster, who used to make seats for Rolls Royce cars, picked his numbers randomly for the draw on Wednesday, August 18.

He did not see a live broadcast of the draw but admits he “felt excited” when he checked the numbers later to find he was in with a shout of winning.

The Bridge Lane resident says he had to check the numbers again and again to make sure he was reading them correctly because the figures were so close.

Chances are he would have taken home the full �500,000 prize money had he won because none of the other 331 tickets sold for the draw came close.

Instead he has to make do with a consolation prize of �100 for getting three numbers in a row.

But Mr Buchan shows no signs of frustration, saying: “I’m over the moon I got �100. I still feel lucky.”