Lottery hit by computer glitch

The National Lottery's system for selling tickets online and in shops went down yesterday, leaving would-be gamblers unable to play.

Camelot, which runs the National Lottery, said it had identified a "temporary issue" on its host system which was causing problems for retailers and "some online players".

Camelot said last night's draw would go ahead, despite the problems, but some players feared they would miss out on their chance for a festive win.

Tony Ward, 57, from Cheshire, tried to buy his ticket from a shop but was told by staff he would have to try again later. "I've never missed a draw. It could ruin Christmas if my numbers came in," he said.

Some retailers were able to sell tickets but they were issued much slower than normal because of the technical break-down.