Bookmaker prepares to pay out £1m for 50p bet

The mystery Englishman who scooped a maximum payout of £1m (€1.3m) after placing an audacious 50p bet with William Hill on Friday has yet to make arrangements for the payment.

The lucky punter landed an eight-horse accumulator and has subsequently visited a Hills shop.

However, although his success has been confirmed, he is yet to contact the Thirsk office where the bet was placed.

"We have been maintaining a vain vigil for the mystery punter," confirmed Graham Sharpe, spokesman for William Hill.

"While we are quite happy to earn a day or two's interest on the massive winning wager we are baffled as to why the winner - a man in his late 50s or early 60s, we believe, has not contacted us as yet to arrange for payment of his record £1m."

Sharpe announced the mystery winner was not in the same imperious form on Saturday, when he wagered £2.50 (€3.31) and lost.

"At that rate in 400,000 days' time we should have won the million back," joked Sharpe.