It is the second biggest unclaimed prize

The buyer of the ticket is thought to be either a resident of Castle Morpeth or Tynedale in Northumberland.

Worth �2,928,214, the numbers on the ticket bought on 14 September last year are 8, 14, 24, 27, 29, and 32.

It is the second largest prize to go unclaimed since the National Lottery started in 1994.

If it is not claimed the money will go to good causes, through the National Lottery Distribution fund.

Lotto operators Camelot say there are millions of unclaimed prizes at any one time, with �530m forfeited in nine years of the lottery.

They have already paraded a sofa through Morpeth in an effort to jog the memory of the current mystery winner.

Camelot has refused to identify the shop where the winning ticket was bought.

Lotto said the decision was a matter of security, even though he confirmed it would help in the search for the missing winner.

The largest unclaimed amount stands at �3,011,065 and was bought in south Hertfordshire in September 2000.