A LARGE building in the heart of Boscombe sold for £345,000 after a bidding war at an auction.

The freehold on the three-storey property at 580 Christchurch Road was among 24 lots being sold by regional land and property auctioneers Clive Emson.

Rob Marchant, auctioneer, said: "We received keen interest in the property, resulting in a bidding war. The final bid came in at £65,000 above guide price. There is a lot of property for the money here, in a prime retail area."

The ground floor is occupied by Giggle, a charity, at a current rent of £15,000 while a flat generates £525 per calendar month.

Mr Marchant added: added: "The upper parts could be converted into either offices or flats, subject to planning consents."

Land and property in the New Forest also went under the auctioneer's hammer.

Nearly half an acre of freehold land, by Sway Road, Lymington, fetched £74,000, nearly double the estimate.

A property in Ringwood, arranged as two shops and two self-contained flats sold on long leases, went for £116,000. The building at 23-29 West Street is let at £6,900 a year, with one shop vacant.

The next auction takes place at the Ageas Bowl, near Southampton, on Thursday, May 7, 11am.

One of the four largest land and property auction companies in the UK, Clive Emson's auctioneers are regulars on BBC One's Homes Under the Hammer series.

Last year Clive Emson, with 50 staff, achieved sales of more than £125m from 32 auctions across southern England.