There have been 28 millionaires in the South East

London was second with 24 millionaires, followed by the South West where 17 people won the monthly �1m jackpot.

Out of the 28 millionaires in the South East, 12 were in Surrey.

Customers had invested more money in the past six years than in the previous 42 and money in the scheme was now at more than �26bn, a spokesman said.

Premium Bond millionaires South East 28 London 24 South West 17 North West 16 East Anglia 10 Yorks and Humber 9 East Midlands 8 West Midlands 7 Wales 5 North East 4 Scotland 4 N Ireland 2

On Friday, National Savings and Investments (NS&I) said people's luck was set to grow with the announcement of two �1m jackpot prizes each month.

Since the government-backed scheme was launched in 1956 by Harold Macmillan as Chancellor of the Exchequer, �7.8bn in tax-free prizes had been given away, the spokesman said.

The single �1m jackpot prize was introduced in April 1994, when the total amount invested in the scheme stood at �4bn.

NS&I said the new double jackpot was being introduced after "several years of significant growth in the amount of money invested".

The launch of the double jackpot was being held at London's Savoy Hotel on Friday.