A FAMILY have had their holiday dreams burst like a beach ball after being barred from a prize trip they had just won.

Dean and Susan Lowe, of Hitchens Close, Murdishaw, Runcorn, were phoned by Warrington timeshare company GoldStar Promotions on Wednesday to be told that they had won a family holiday abroad.

But their good luck turned sour on Monday morning when they were told by the company that they could not be winners - because they do not own their own home.

The terms of award stipulated that the chosen winners had to be homeowners.

The Lowes, who have not been abroad together in eight years of marriage, were delighted and told their daughter Tanya, who will be six on Saturday, that they were off to Tenerife.

"We told Tanya about it and now we've got to tell her we're not going," said 41-year-old Dean, who works for ECL Pharmaceuticals on Astmoor.

"It's not fair, there must be a number of people in the same situation."

Susan, 42, said: "I couldn't believe it. We have been penalised because we don't own our own home.

"I had to break it to Tanya and the child was in tears," she said.

The couple were due to pick up their prize this Friday in Warrington: "Unless we can buy a house between now and Friday, we are not going anywhere."

The couple planned to take Susan's mother, who cares for her terminally-ill husband, but that hope has been dashed now.

Susan has tried to overcome her own disappointment: "I am trying to cheer Dean up and stop Tanya crying so I don't have time to feel sorry for myself."

GoldStar were not available for comment.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.