An East Lancashire MP has criticised Camelot’s decision to increase the price of a Loterry ticket to £2.

Nigel Evans, who represents the Ribble Valley, said: “Notwithstanding the higher winnings, I do think that this is bad timing on Camelot’s part.

“Most people who play the National Lottery do so out of a sense of hope and what could be.

“Increasing the price by 100 per cent does seem very unfair, especially at a time when people are struggling financially.

“Many people also play the same numbers week in week out and I worry that they would feel compelled to continue at double the cost.

“I understand that prices have not changed since 1994, but I see no compelling reason to change them now and I hope that they remain the same in the autumn.”