Voice Of Post

'Jilted John': eBay honeymoon man jilted a third time, A man who auctioned his ex-fiancée's honeymoon place for charity on eBay has been jilted for a third time.

John Whitbread, from Leicestershire, auctioned the £1,800 trip to the Dominican Republic in the hope of finding a female companion.

The highest bidder failed to pay the winning sum of £8,000, and now the second highest bidder has pulled out after offering to pay £7,900.

Mr Whitbread is now selling £10 raffle tickets for the chance to join him.

All of the money raised from the "Jilted John" raffle will go to Balls to Cancer.

"It's just been knock after knock after knock, but I'm not going to let it beat me," he said.

"Hopefully this is more foolproof.

"I've got to prove my friends wrong and get it over £2,500 to prove I've done the right thing."

The winner of the raffle will be drawn at 19:00 GMT on Sunday 25 January.Mr Whitbread said the person who placed the highest bid was "a kid who made a mistake".

He said the second highest bidder promised to pay, then pulled out on Saturday.

The 32-year-old said it was "a blow" but hopes it will be a case of fourth time lucky.

He said his ex-fiancée had been "supportive throughout it all".

"Originally I just thought I was giving someone the chance to have a cheap holiday, but now I've realised there's the potential to make something for charity my motives have changed," he said.

"For me, I want to feel like all this work has gone towards something.

"It will be a well deserved holiday."