A Mansfield retail manager won a £46,000 sports car in an online competition.

Scooping the Porsche 718 Boxster from car competitions company BOTB was an early birthday present for Jeffrey Vernon, who will be 57 in March.

After initially receiving an email to say he had won the instant wins competition, Jeffrey was later surprised (right) by a video call from BOTB presenter Christian Williams.

“When I found out I couldn’t believe it,” said Jeffrey. “I was lost for words, and that’s not like me as I’ve always got something to say.”

He discovered the competitions company on Facebook, watching a video of Christian giving a car away.
“I enter loads of competitions, and it’s fair to say I’ve never won anything like this before,” added Jeffrey. “I didn’t sleep a wink that night!”

Currently hiring a Renault Megane, Jeffrey said the win was a dream come true. However, while he would love to keep the car, he is considering taking a cash alternative prize that would allow him to undergo two much-needed operations.

“The cash means I can pay to have two operations to sort my health out,” he explained. “You can have millions in the bank, but you’re nothing without your health.”

BOTB hands over the keys to a dream car each week as well as a lifestyle prize. It also offers people the chance to win a holiday, cash, tech, and more in its instant wins competition.

Founded by William Hindmarch in 1999, the company has given away £86.5m-worth of cars so far.

Christian said: “A huge congratulations to Jeffrey who was clearly in shock when I phoned him. It’s always amazing to surprise people with these fantastic prizes.

“The Porsche 718 Boxster is an incredible car, but I completely understand why Jeffrey is considering the cash alternative. It’s fantastic that this win will have such a positive impact on his life.”