But he suffers from a blood vessel condition that could kill him at any time and says he would give it all up for a guaranteed long life with his wife in their one-bedroom council flat.

In striking contrast to other lottery winners' plans for mansions and holidays, Mr Smith, 58, said he would do the 'cash-for-life' deal 'in a second', reported The Guardian yesterday.

But money can make no difference to the threat of his aortic aneurism - a swelling of the artery - bursting.

Statistically, it will leave Mr Smith, who lives in Hertfordshire, with only a one-in-10 chance of survival. 'It's a ticking timebomb inside me,' he told the paper on Tuesday after scooping Saturday's jackpot.

His wife, Ida, 68, however, said the winnings would at least pay for a 'brilliant' new bungalow. Mr Smith too admitted he might 'go and check out a few Range Rovers', given that good health was not for sale.