Millionaire winner investigated over 'coughing' cheat

Police are investigating whether a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? jackpot winner was helped by someone coughing.

Scotland Yard were called in after Army major Charles Ingram, 38, won £1m on the ITV quiz show.

Programme makers became suspicious after hearing somebody coughing from the audience as the Major was about to reply to a question.

ITV alerted police four days after Major Ingram's win, which has not yet been screened. The Royal Engineers officer's wife Diana, who herself won £32,000 on the show and has written a book about how to win, was in the audience.

The show's makers Celador Productions refused to comment, reports a British tabloid.

But Scotland Yard confirmed its Special Inquiry Team is investigating the claims.

A Yard spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that the Special Inquiry Team are investigating."

Major Ingram of Devizes, Wilts, said: "I have no idea why they are investigating me. I don't know what there is to investigate."

The dad-of-three floundered on several early questions, using his "phone-a-friend" and "ask-the-audience" lifelines as he struggled to reach the £4,000 mark.

But Major Ingram managed to get through to the final question, which was: "What is the name of a number that is a one followed by 100 zeros?" He correctly answered: "Googol."

Major Ingram has not yet been allowed to cash his £1m cheque. Mrs Ingram's brother, 40-year-old computer consultant Adrian Pollock, also won £32,000 on the programme earlier this year.

Mrs Ingram said she knew nothing of the police investigation. "I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about," she said.