They say being pooped on by a bird is a sign of good luck, and it certainly was for a syndicate of 15 Tesco workers from Plymouth who are celebrating after winning £3,689,940 in SaturdayÂ's Lotto draw.

Syndicate leader Jackie Beresford, 56, had been told by a psychic two weeks beforehand that her finances were about to improve. But she decided not to buy the syndicates lotto tickets herself last week after a seagull pooped on her daughter.

Beresford said: Â"My daughter was at a christening when a seagull left its mark, so to speak. In my book thatÂ's a sign of good luck to come and I suggested she buy the syndicate tickets – and it came true.Â"

The Â"Plymouth Tesco Night ShiftÂ" syndicate, who play 15 Lotto lines every Saturday night since 2010, have benefitted from a number of small wins over the years, sharing a few hundred pounds each Christmas. This time however, with a little help from the seagull, theyÂ'll be taking home £245,996 each.

Beresford said she was one of the group working the 10pm-7am night shift when the good news came.

She said: Â"I had a call from one of the members to say weÂ'd won the jackpot and I just screamed. I donÂ't know how we finished that night shift but we did – with the help of a glass of champagne!Â"

The group say they are close-knit and get on well together so have agreed to all continue working at Tesco, although they might cut back on their shifts a bit.

Beresford said: Â"Most of us havenÂ't had the time to think about what weÂ're going to spend the money on.

Â"But I know that I will be doing first and thatÂ's paying off my mortgage so IÂ'll have no more worries on that front. One thing is for certain, by the end of this week my house will be my own.Â"

Another syndicate member, Alison Lonsdale, 45, who works as a primary school dinner lady long with her part-time job at Tesco, said: Â"ItÂ's just life changing for us – it just makes life so much easier.Â"

But Beresford got a little more than financial comfort from her win. The psychic she visited told her that her husband – who passed away earlier this year – had one regret: not leaving Beresford in a better financial situation. But the psychic also said he had a plan.

Beresford said: Â"I just know heÂ's shining down on me and looking after me and this was his way of doing it.Â"

Emma Rumney