National Grid offered me a staggering amount of money after my salon was hit by a power cut - I thought I could retire early until I got a rude awakening

A salon brag was near stunned aft National Grid offered him an oculus watering £12.4million successful compensation pursuing a powerfulness chopped astatine his business.

James Parker couldn't judge his luck erstwhile the vigor steadfast wrote to him a fortnight agone to accidental helium was entitled to the whopping magnitude of £12,423,397.60. 

The 54-year-old, who co-owns Asembo hairdressers successful Stamford, Lincolnshire, wasn't adjacent alert he'd beryllium entitled to compensation - fto unsocial an eight-figure number.

He rapidly began to imagination of a luxury lifestyle, with hopes of leaving the state and whisking his household distant for an astir the satellite trip.

But sadly, James' hopes of immoderate eccentric escapades soon came crashing down erstwhile National Grid realised their mistake and sent him a cheque for £95 instead. 

The institution blamed the incidental connected an 'admin error' and apologised to the salon proprietor for the premix up. 

James, who has tally the concern with woman Natasha, 44, since 2013, admitted his disappointment aft momentarily reasoning helium was a millionaire, but 'grateful' for the compensation outgo nonetheless. 

He besides joked that National Grid whitethorn person mistaken the hairdressers for Heathrow Airport, which was unopen down a mates of weeks agone aft a occurrence astatine a adjacent electrical substation. 

James said: 'I struggled to work the fig due to the fact that it was truthful large - I had to adhd successful spaces.

'It truly was a having to enactment your glasses connected infinitesimal arsenic determination weren't immoderate commas oregon decimal points, it was hard to spot however overmuch was really there.

'They said connected the missive that the occupation wasn't rectified successful 12 hours - but I don't deliberation we were unfastened that time anyway.

'I decidedly didn't realise we were entitled to £12.4 million.'

He added: 'I americium grateful for the last cheque and judge it arsenic an apology for the powerfulness chopped - though I would person been quicker to judge the apology if it was a cheque for £12.4 million.

'I americium reasonably forgiving!'

When asked what helium would person done if he'd successfully banked £12.4 million, James joked that he'd permission the state and support the payout a secret.

He quipped that helium thought astir paying it successful astatine a currency instrumentality to debar suspicions being raised by slope staff.

James said: 'With the archetypal magnitude I would person whisked the household disconnected connected an astir the satellite travel but with the revised magnitude I should conscionable beryllium capable to negociate a travel astir the mid-lent just for them.

'I was reasoning I could slope it and spot what involvement I could get connected £12.4 million.

'If I could wide it determination would beryllium a spot of involvement determination for a mates of days. It'll beryllium much than the £95 they gave maine successful the end.

'Most of them are astir £1,500 a day, thing similar that. It would beryllium a batch anyway.

'If I presented it to the section slope astatine the till, they would've said that wasn't right.

'But if I did it astatine the instrumentality they would conscionable process it without immoderate quality interaction.

'If I could person kept it I would person astir apt disappeared precise rapidly to get away.'

A National Grid Electricity Distribution spokesperson apologised to James for the administrative mistake and confirmed nary incorrect cheques were sent out.

They added: 'We person since sent retired caller letters advising of the close outgo details and we volition beryllium reviewing our processes to forestall this concern reoccurring.'