Auctioneer says £100k island may be leisure retreat

An island on the River Thames that went under the hammer for almost £100,000 may have been bought for leisure purposes, the auctioneers have said.

Gary Murphy coordinated the sale of Hallsmead Ait, a triangular island or eyot in Berkshire which lies close to Shiplake Lock in Oxfordshire.

The 1.9-hectare (4.7-acre) site fetched £99,470 after it was sold through agents Savills which said it was a "unique opportunity".

Mr Murphy said the sale was "risky" as the island was "very hard to value" and did not have a reserve price.

"It's a really interesting thing to own, particularly if you are a boat owner on the River Thames," Mr Murphy told the BBC.

"You could take your friends and family out on the river, then just stop at your own island for a barbeque and some relaxation."

He said he "very much doubted" you could build a house on the island.

"You would obviously need planning permission and I wouldn't have thought you'd get it," he commented.

"There is a flood risk, because you are an island in the middle of the Thames.

"You might get planning for a small structure like a boathouse or leisure building possibly, as there is already a pontoon."

He said it had been a "very hard thing to value" as it was "not clear what it can be used for".

"If the highest bid on the day was £100, then I would have been obliged to bring the hammer down on £100," he added.

"There was so much interest on the day, it really wasn't a risk in the end."