ALL 40 lots of land and property offered for sale by South West Water, including 12 in Cornwall, have sold above their guideline price.

Bradleys Auction Department has reported an outstanding success rate at its auction at Lanivet on Wednesday.

James Carden, auction and commercial manager, said: "With over 250 interested bidders turning up on the day and with traffic queuing to get into the auction venue car park we knew we were going to have a lively auction.

"It is also interesting to note that our dedicated auction website received over a million hits and inquiries from more than 32 different countries were received.

"In these troubled times it was encouraging to see the interest shown in the auction with, on average, 12 bidders per lot offered recorded.

Mr Carden added: "One of the lots, a small piece of ground, fetched the equivalent of three quarters of a million pounds per acre."

The lots all sold well above their guide prices, a reflection of the interest shown by a diverse range of bidders.

"It is quite clear to see that with savings accounts yielding very little or nil interest, and with the stock market deteriorating, many savers and investors are turning their attention back to tangible assets such as land and property," said Mr Carden.

Bradleys is holding its next collective auction in late spring.

Prices realised last week were: ● Grampound Road Reservoir, Ladock, near Truro, £58,000.

● Hollows Terrace Pumping Station, Hayle, £6,500.

● Maders Reservoir, Callington, £6,600; ● Porthpean Reservoir; St Austell, £17,500.

● Probus Reservoir, Probus, £26,700.

● Rilla Mill Reservoir, £13,500.

● Sevenmilestone Reservoir, St Agnes, £43,500.

● Land next to Trevu Reservoir, Camborne, £70,000.

● Land next to Crowlas Sewage ● Pumping Station, Crowlas, £20,300.

Sold before the auction were: Kerley Reservoir, Chacewater; land next to Fernpit Pumping Station, Newquay; Molenick Pumping Station, Tideford Cross, Saltash.