A devoted carer from Southampton is celebrating a lottery win - but isn't set to retire just yet.

Karen Shipley matched five numbers on the National Lottery's Set For Life draw, meaning she has won £10,000 every month for the next year.

The 65-year-old's winning Set For Life ticket was bought at Sainsburys in Bitterne.

Karen, who has been caring for Southampton’s elderly for almost two decades, could be forgiven for planning early retirement given her amazing win but the grandmother of two has other plans.

Daily Echo:

She said: “I’m going to carry on working until I reach the official retirement age next year and then I am going to take things easy.

"Retiring wasn’t something I ever dreamt possible before this win and now the future looks bright, in fact it looks positively rosy!”

Karen, who is due to start a new job as a community carer next week, was on her final night shift for a client she has cared for since 2012 when she discovered her win.

“I’d put my client to bed, tidied up a bit and was just having a cup of tea when I decided to check a ticket I had bought earlier that day," she said.

Daily Echo:

"I wasn’t really paying attention so when my phone pinged telling me there was a prize I thought it was £10, until I looked closer and saw it was £10K every month for a whole year.

“I don’t mind saying, my immediate reaction was some choice language and then I logged out and back in to scan again, just to be sure. I did this about six times!"

She added: “Never in a million years did I expect to win."

The following morning, with her shift over, Karen headed home and, shaking head to toe, called Camelot who confirmed the win.

Daily Echo:

Looking ahead to the future, Karen said, “For a very long time I have worked hard to make ends meet, and often they didn’t, so I’m not going crazy. This win means that at long last the daily grind and pressure is switched off and I can start to look forward to retirement with confidence and ease. I really believe this is going to be my time.

“I don’t have plans to move, buy a new car or live the highlife although I would like to plan a trip to Jamaica when it’s safe to travel again. My father’s family is from there and I would dearly love to visit the island of his birth, and my grandmother’s grave to pay my respects.”

While Karen doesn’t have plans for her own frivolous purchases, her two grandchildren are definitely enjoying some treats from Nanny. She said, “They’ve recently moved to a new home and have their own garden for the first time so I have gone a little wild with a climbing frame and den set, goal posts and a trampoline all due for delivery shortly. I hope it brings as much fun for the grandchildren as I had ordering it!”