A LUXURY £950,000 house on Sandbanks offered as a prize has not been won after the competition failed to attract enough entrants.

Thousands paid a £25 fee and answered three questions online to stand a chance of claiming the four-bed property in Seacombe Road in the exclusive “Millionaires’ Row”.

But organisers Poole-based Vivid Construction Ltd said they were “way, way short” of the 52,000 entries they needed to reach to give the home away as a prize.

Managing director Mark Barclay said he didn’t yet have the exact figure, but last December the Echo reported 15,000 had registered to enter from 120 countries within the first month. Now, instead of the house, the winner should receive the cash from all the entry fees – minus 20 per cent “to cover the promoters’ costs and expenses.”

But according to the competition’s own terms and conditions the final decision on the winner is already overdue.

Some entrants were starting to worry after not hearing any news more than a week after the competition closed on July 31.

Chris Martin, a wall and floor tiler from Canford Heath, told the Echo that his wife had bought a ticket in May and he’d been unable to contact the organisers since.

He’d tried sending an email, leaving a phone message and contacting them via their website.

He said he also had not received the competition newsletter – despite signing up from two email accounts.

“The fact that absolutely nothing has been forthcoming whatsoever is what is ringing alarm bells with me,” he said.

But Mr Barclay said the company was simply carrying out “due diligence” before picking a winner, including making sure none of the entrants are connected with the company.

He said: “It’s all under way, but there is a lot of work at this stage to get it done.”

He said more information would be released in the competition newsletter in a few weeks’ time.

He also said there had been problems with newsletters not reaching all subscribers.

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