£148m EuroMillions winner criticised for property spending spree

£148M EUROMILLIONS WINNER CRITICISED FOR PROPERTY SPENDING SPREE

Adrian Bayford, who with his wife Gillian won a £148m EuroMilllions jackpot in August 2012, has been accused of building a property empire in his home town of Haverill, Essex, Engand and pricing other locals out of the market.Since his EuroMilliions win Adrian has split up with his wife Gillian, who as we reported in January is now dating the salesman that sold her a fleet of cars. He now lives in a £6m mansion with fiancee Samantha Burbridge and has snapped up at least 13 buy-to-let properties in just over a year.The EuroMillions winner made his most recent purchase last month when buying a £157,000 two-bedroom terrace home. He paid for the house in cash and has now spent over £2.3m on property in the area. He already has a tenant for his latest purchase paying £695 a month to live there. The local council currently has a 1,897 waiting list.Other residents in the area aren't happy with the actions of the EuroMillions winner who buys the properties through his company St. Just Housing. Bayford has been accused of pushing up house prices and rents and of causing a property shortage in Haverhill.Town councillor Pat Hanlon spoke out against the EuroMillions jackpot winner saying "It's disgusting that he can buy up all the houses in the town. They are properties that families and first-time buyers would love to buy but are struggling to afford."An average three-bed house in Haverhill costs £185,337, a figure that has increased by 8% in the past year since the EuroMillions winner started his property buying spree. That's compared to a 4.6% increase in house prices across the rest of the UK. A typical rent in the area is £750 a year, which means an increase of 20%.A local estate agent, who wished not to be named, said: "I've had upset people coming in saying they lost out to him (Bayford). He goes for homes he can rent out easily for a quick turnaround."The EuroMillions winner has declined to comment but a source said: "Adrian employs local workers to maintain the properties and is helping the local economy."What would you do with a millionaire lottery jackpot? Play online at Lottery24.com to discover it.