Ex-cabbie who lives in 1-bed council flat wins incredible £4m Omaze seaside mansion

A former cabbie has swapped his one-bed council flat for a £4M beachside home after winning a competition he entered for £25. James Moughton, 71, won the keys to a luxurious beachside property in West Sussex in the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw.

The retired taxi driver from Hull said that his victory was something he could never have dreamed of after learning that he had won the stunning property and a cash prize of £250,000. He said: "When I was a cabbie, I used to drop people off at fancy homes-now I've got one of my own. I'm from a council estate, but now I own a coastal paradise, things like this just don't happen to people where I come from."

Mr Moughton drove a taxi for 20 years but now owns the stunning property just a few miles north of the South Downs National Park which includes high ceilings, a feature fireplace, statement glazed roof and floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto south-facing terraces.

The main residence provides a spacious layout with three reception rooms, including a first floor living room with an integrated bar area offering breathtaking sea views.

The expansive, triple-aspect kitchen features a central island breakfast bar and high-end appliances from Neff, Siemens, Bosch and Caple, with a separate utility room nearby.

Outside, the property offers a south-facing garden, multiple terraces, an outdoor kitchen with an Ooni pizza oven and BBQ area, as well as a wood surround Skargards hot tub.

There is also a boathouse, an outdoor shower and private, gated access directly from the garden onto the pebble beach.

Describing the moment that he found out he had won, Mr Moughton said: "I was having such an uneventful and boring week before Omaze turned up-I think the highlight had been nipping to the shops and avoiding getting sunburnt.

"Then all of a sudden I get a knock at the door and someone tells me I've won a prize-initially I thought it must be a wind-up!

"I was gobsmacked, I could've fallen through the floor! I went to see my daughter afterwards to crack open a bottle of fizz to celebrate."

Mr Moughton is unsure about whether he will move into the property, rent it out or sell it to make himself a multi-millionaire.

He added: "I've no idea what I'll do long-term yet - but if I do decide to sell up and cash in, the money from the sale will change the lives of my family forever.

"Living on a pension, you're always watching the pennies. But now, for the first time in my life, I don't have to worry about money ever again-it'll be ice cold beers on the sun lounger from now on."

The former taxi driver, who has two children and two grandchildren says that the win will "change his life forever" and be a "generational legacy" for his family