Sign up for a sure bet

Almost every time lottery numbers are announced, the media manages to find one sad case who - but for a trivial accident - might have claimed that week's jackpot.

This week I can add my own small tale of woe. Four of the six numbers habitually chosen by me on the handful of occasions that I have had a flutter, came good on Saturday night.

But to win pounds 90, I would have had to gamble more than pounds 90 on the same numbers in the past year or two.

The moral is simple: forget the Lotto and fork out for some life cover instead. That way, someone (not you) stands a better chance of winning a share in a big payout.