YORK lottery jackpot winner Ken Southwell, who vowed not to retire on his winnings, is in hospital today after being injured at work.

Ken, who scooped nearly £1 million in the first National Lottery draw, is understood to have broken his leg in seven places during an accident in Lancashire involving a fork-lift truck.

His wife, Julie, travelled to a hospital in Ormskirk, Lancashire, yesterday to see him but was unable to find out what had actually happened in Thursday's incident.

She said: "He is OK but his leg is broken. He was so woozy on painkillers that it was difficult to find out from him exactly what had happened."

Ken, who was described by doctors as "comfortable", was today transferred to a private hospital in York.

At the Ship Inn, Ken's local pub at Acaster Malbis, regulars are keeping abreast of developments.

Landlord Paul Eckart said: "All the staff and customers here wish him a very speedy recovery, and we hope to see him back as soon as possible."

Ken's former partner, Anne Hurtado, the mother of his six-year-old son, Daniel, said: "It sounds like a nasty accident but it is not life threatening and that is the main thing."

Ken, a former satellite engineer, decided to carry on working after his £839,254 win. He always maintained that there was no point in giving up work to live off his lottery proceeds, saying: "You can't just sit back and do nothing for the rest of your life."

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