A couple won £150,000 twice in one day - but only realised when their dog found a second ticket they had forgotten about.

Jane and Alan Slater, of Newport, Isle of Wight, began making plans for their future after matching five numbers and the lucky star on the draw last month.

But it wasn't until a few days later when the couple's white Labrador Ruby found the second winning ticket which had been tucked into a catalogue in the back of their car.

Jane (right) and Alan Slater (left) won £150,000 twice in one day when they both bought lottery tickets without realising

Both Jane and Alan had purchased the tickets with the same numbers without knowing.

Alan, 65, whose second ticket was discovered on Ruby's birthday, said: 'We both burst into tears when we saw that the second ticket was also a winner.

'It was actually a bit scary because it all happened in such a magical way, what with Ruby disturbing the ticket on her birthday and it floating so gently right in front of Jane's eyes.

'The ticket could so easily have disappeared in the rubbish when I tidied up the car, we couldn't help feel that someone was looking down on us.'

Alan, a customer relations manager for Wightlink Ferries, had forgotten he had bought his ticket and left it in the car after celebrating his initial win.

It had been left in the back seat of his grey Ford C-Max hidden inside a brochure advertising holiday cottages.

Following the draw on September 29 the couple put Jane's ticket under lock and key in their bedroom, each believing it was the one they bought.

It wasn't until Jane, 59, took Ruby and their collie Kai for a walk when Ruby jumped into the back seat of the car and kicked open the brochure to reveal the second ticket.

Jane thought Alan had moved the original winning ticket from the bedroom.

The catering assistant, who works at St Mary's Hospital on the island and had played the lottery for 20 years, said: 'I called him and told him 'I've got my ticket in the car' and he said 'I haven't touched it'.

The couple's dog Ruby (pictured) discovered their second ticket hidden in a catalogue in the couple's car

'I said 'I have got my hand on the ticket and it is the same date and the same numbers' but Alan kept saying 'I promise, I haven't taken it out of the bedroom'.

'So I began thinking to myself that something wasn't right here and I remembered the lady from Camelot asked me to sign the back of my winning ticket.

'I turned it over and thought 'this hasn't got my name on it' and it was then we realised we must have another winning ticket.'

The identical tickets were purchased at the same Spar newsagents near their home - and Jane had bought hers the day before Alan.

The couple plan to spend their winnings on getaways, their family and some special treats for the dogs.

Alan said: 'I will also be hanging up my work boots at the end of the month, retiring a few months earlier than originally planned.

The couple have always selected the same five numbers and won the draw on Ruby's birthday

'I've spent 10 years safely docking the catamaran at Ryde pier head but with the double win I can step aside and let someone else take that job.'

The Slaters, who moved to the island in 1979, have always selected the same five numbers - 11, after they got married on November 11, 14, for the day of their son's birthday, 26, for Jane's birthday, 29, for Alan's birthday, and 49 - the year Alan was born.

Their two lucky stars are always 2, for their daughter's birthday, and 3, which is Alan's lucky number. They correctly guessed all of the numbers except for the lucky star number 2.

When Alan discovered he had won on the first ticket Jane accused him of playing a joke on her.

The Slaters each picked up £149,089.30 in the EuroMillions draw on September 29. They plan to spend their winnings on their family, getaways and their dog Ruby (centre)

The win was verified the morning after the draw on September 29 and it was a week before Lady Luck struck again for the couple.

Had the couple bought just one ticket, they would have won £186,361.82 - £111,816.78 less.

Jane added: 'She's the best purchase I've ever made. Her nose is amazing - she can smell fox poo from a mile away and roll in it.