Family who tried to raffle off £3m dream home criticised over prize money

Mark and Sharon Beresford launched a raffle for their mansion near Ringwood on the Hampshire/Dorset border last year but failed to sell enough tickets in order for it to go ahead. 

Tickets were available for £25 but the couple didn't reach the 175,000 target needed for the raffle to proceed, but instead offered a cash prize of £110,070 which was won by a person from Christchurch following a draw which took place this week. 

Mr Beresford said: '˜It has been quite an experience and we have tried everything to sell enough tickets.

'˜Of course we're disappointed that the house hasn't been won as we want to move to Sussex to be near family.

'˜When we called the winner, they were overcome and we're so happy for them and can't wait to present them with the money.'

However the Beresford have face criticism for the size of the prize fund, with the total money raised from the sale of raffle tickets reportedly being around £750,000, leaving people questioning why it was so low. 

James Hill, who bought eight tickets with three friends, told BBC News: '˜After the competition people clearly wanted answers as to why the prize fund was so low.'

The terms of the competition allowed the couple to keep a quarter of the revenue generated, with promotional costs also being deducted from the prize money. 

Mr Beresford said: '˜We made sure everything was legal and above board and satisfied the Gambling Commission.' 

The Beresford have spent 12 years in the riverside Huf Haus and said that they launched the raffle so that another family could enjoy the property, after several sales fell through. 

Raffle tickets were available for purchase up until December 31, 2018 - however the target needed to trigger the property as a prize was not reached.