Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREESee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ED HOLT Published: 01:10 BST, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 01:31 BST, 8 June 2026
A Polish train conductor who has lived in Britain for two decades won a £1.8million house and immediately decided to sell up and move back home.Dawid Szulc, who lives in Crewe, Cheshire, won a fully-furnished mansion in Lancashire as well as a Land Rover Defender and £25,000 tax-free cash.Having scooped the life-changing prize on May 31, he has already sold the car and is now hoping to sell the property as well in preparation to move back to Poland.The 39-year-old moved from south-west Poland in 2005, when he was just 18-years-old, before returning to the Eastern European country to attend university.He then moved to Britain permanently in 2015 but says he has always hoped he would one day return to Poland to be closer to family and lifelong friends. Mr Szulc said: 'My biggest dream was going back home. I've always wanted to move back to Poland at some point and be closer to my friends and family, but there was always something in the way.'There was always the mortgage, work and all the responsibilities that come with everyday life. Then all of a sudden, with one phone call, it all became possible.' The train conductor was at home watching television when he spotted missed calls and messages from Elite Competitions. Train conductor Dawid Szulc is planning to move home to Poland after he scooped a huge £1.8million prize Dawid Szulc with his winnings which includes a fully-furnished mansion in Lancashire, a Land Rover Defender and £25,000 tax-free cashAfter watching the replay of the live draw, Mr Szulc described becoming a millionaire as 'a shock'. He said: 'My life is going to be so much different. For the first time in such a long time, I feel very light. I feel like every single issue has suddenly disappeared. I feel such a relief, like a weight lifted off my shoulders.'Even around my family, I feel different, so much happier. I can see how it has changed me so much already. I feel so much better with my Mrs and my daughter. I am just not stressed anymore.'It's the first time in 40 years that I've experienced such a feeling. It is absolutely brilliant.'The first people Mr Szulc told were his partner Kamila and eight-year-old daughter Amelia, with the family staying awake until midnight celebrating the news together. His parents in Poland were among the next to find out.The winner revealed his mother was overcome with emotion when he shared the news, having known for years how much he wanted to move back home.He said: 'I've only told my mum and dad and one close friend. My mum was probably more emotional than I was to be fair. She was crying.'My parents have known for years that I always wanted to go back home at some point. Now I know it's going to happen. It's just a matter of time.' Mr Szulc with the Land Rover he won. Having already sold the car he is making plans to sell the mansion as well The family are already planning a two-week trip to Poznań in August, where Mr Szulc plans to celebrate his 40th birthday surrounded by family and friends - which will no doubt be an extra special day.He hopes a permanent move could follow within the next couple of years.Reflecting on what winning the prize could mean for his family, Mr Szulc said: 'The financial security that I can provide means we can focus on things that make us happy, enjoy life, enjoy our family and just be there for each other. Whatever passion Amelia develops, I will always support it and invest in it. That's what matters.'Elite Competitions CEO Alex Beckett said: 'Everyone at Elite Competitions is delighted for Dawid and his family.'When we spoke to him it quickly became clear this wasn't about cars or houses. This was about being closer to the people he loves. 'Dawid has spent years dreaming of returning home and now he has the opportunity to make that happen. We couldn't be happier for him and wish him every success with his plans for the future.'
