The nurses, who all work night shifts at the Maelor Hospital in Wrexham, held the only winning ticket.

Most of the winners have worked together for up to 30 years. They will be presented with their cheque at London's Waldorf hotel on Tuesday.

Andy Scotson, a spokesman for the hospital, which employs 2,000 people, said he expected all eight would return to work initially.

However, one of the winners, auxiliary nurse Glenys Churchill, 61, of Penycae, near Wrexham, said she was going to put her feet up, after previously choosing not to retire at 60.

"I don't know what the others are going to do, but I should have retired last year and I decided to keep going until I was 65, which is just as well otherwise I would not have been in the syndicate.