A lottery winner is one of 15 Oxfordshire people who feature among the country's top earners.

Peter Mallett, a 38-year-old computer analyst, of Wheatley, won £11.759m in March, making him the country's 31st highest earner.

Mr Mallett discovered he had won the money in the middle of the night by looking at Teletext. It came as a shock to him, his partner of ten years, Julie Costello, and their three-year-old son, Oengus. He bought the ticket at the Londis store in Wheatley.

The Sunday Times's Pay List 2001 features Britain's top 500 earners with a combined income of £3.3bn in the 12 months to October 1.

Oxfordshire's top earner and second in the list is Martyn Arbib, 62, of Henley, the investment expert and racehorse owner who set up the Perpetual Growth Fund. In the last year, he earned £122.873m.

Former Beatle George Harrison is 32nd, despite a near fatal stabbing at his mansion in Henley, as well as throat cancer and brain tumour scares. He earned £11.5m.

Michael Fischer, 51, non-executive president of Oxfordshire software firm, Research Machines, which supplies software and IT systems to the education market, earned £11.274m and is 34th.

Formula 1 racing driver Eddie Irvine, who lives in Oxford, is 93rd with £6m. Richard Hicks, founder of the Oxfordshire Internet company AIT, earned £5.12m, putting him at 119, while Roger Cornick, of Henley, former deputy chairman of the Perpetual Growth Fund, is 132nd with £4.974m.

Pop star George Michael, who lives in Goring, was placed 134th with £4.932.

Former Headington United footballer Terry Liddiard, founder of Isle of Man based Manx Airlines, earned £4.778m, putting him at 138th.

Sir Frank Williams, owner of the Grove-based Formula 1 team, Williams, is 226th, with £3.048m, while its technical director, Patrick Head, is 422nd with £1.799m.

Tennis star Tim Henman, whose family lives in Weston-on-the-Green, is 236th with £2.8m.

Oxfordshire rally star Richard Burns is 355th with £2m while Oxford United chairman Firoz Kassam is 390th with £1.92m.

Sir Richard Branson, head of the Virgin travel, retail and entertainment empire, who lives in Kidlington, does not feature in the list.