Family Fortunes:Lotto pair deny snub to relatives

Monday, March 13, 2006 posted 10:03 AM EST

A COUPLE who won a fortune on the National Lottery have hit back at claims they have failed to help relatives in financial difficulty.

Football-mad Darren Nash, who previously worked as a car valet for Hitchin Audi, and wife Gabrielle made headlines in the New Year when they scooped £15m.

But the Stevenage couple were in the news again last month when a tabloid newspaper reported hard-up relatives had received little or no financial help from the lucky couple.

In an interview with The Sun, Darren’s father Ian, of Glebe Road, Letchworth, told how he was struggling with debts and risked having his home repossessed.

The 64-year-old, who earns less than £400 a fortnight as a Tesco cleaner, said he had not heard from his son since the couple won the Lotto Superdraw jackpot on Christmas Eve.

Darren’s brother Stuart, 32, told the tabloid his parents were too proud to go “cap in hand” for money, but he was shocked that Darren didn’t appear to want to provide for them. He said the brothers’ mum, Barbara King, 58, had been in and out of hospital.

Earlier this month the paper printed a series of mocking texts allegedly from Darren to Stuart in which the multi-millionaire was supposed to have said he was

“crossing his father and brother off the list”.

When Darren and Gabrielle – both 34 and with two young sons Curtis and Lewis – hit the jackpot they vowed to keep their feet on the ground.

Gabrielle said at the time: “It’s a wonderful feeling not to have to worry about the cost of things.

“The win means the world to us. We can really secure the future and help our family.”

And it seems that the pair are trying to live up to their promise. A friend insisted they have every intention of looking out for their relatives but, just 11 weeks on from their win, are still deciding the best way to go about it and taking financial advice.

She said: “Gabrielle and Darren have been taking time to consider how they can best help their family and friends and share their good luck.”

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