THERE are more than 18,000 Premium Bond prizes for Dorset savers still waiting to be claimed – including one from more than 50 years ago.

The news comes as it is announced ERNIE 4, the fourth incarnation of the Premium Bonds random number generator, is to be replaced with new technology after 15 years of loyal service. Since its launch it has paid out more than 7 million prizes in Dorset, worth more than £269 million.

The original ERNIE, built by the team behind the Second World War code breaker, Colossus, started the first Premium Bonds draw on June 1 1957, taking 30 hours to generate the winning numbers, based on the signal noise created by neon tubes.

Jill Waters, NS&I’s Retail Director, said: “ERNIE 4 brought prize-winning joy to Dorset, but there are still many prizes waiting to be united with their rightful owners. Prizes often become unclaimed as a result of people moving house, or forgetting that Bonds have been bought for them as a child, or executors are unaware the Bonds are held when someone dies.

“By opting to manage your Premium Bonds online you could reduce the risk of missing out on prizes as they can be paid directly into your bank account or they can be reinvested into your Premium Bonds account.”

The highest value unclaimed prizes in Dorset are each worth £1,000 and date back to 1985.

The oldest unclaimed prizes in Dorset date back to 1964.

There is no time limit for claiming prizes and each unclaimed prize is held until the rightful winner can be tracked down. The oldest unclaimed prize dates back to February 1964 where a Premium Bonds holder from Dorset has a prize to the sum of £25 waiting to be claimed.