Ebay buyer travels from Sweden for collection-only item

The solar panel attracted 26 bids and sold for £189

A dedicated Ebay buyer travelled more than 1,700 miles (2,800km) across Europe to pick up items listed as collection-only.

Andreas Hongvan drove from Sweden to Worthing to collect a solar panel he had successfully bid £189 for.

He had just driven from a similar pick-up in Nottingham where he had to climb on to a roof to "collect" his purchase.

Mr Hongvan, who lives "off grid" in Sweden, said: "I couldn't find anything like this at home. So it was worth it."

His wife was the one to first enquire about the Worthing solar panel, which was sold by Mark Cranford.

'Mad but nice'

He said: "I thought they would probably decide they wouldn't bother as it was so far.

"I didn't hear anything for a day or so then his wife called and said he was at the Eurotunnel."

Mr Hongvan turned up in Worthing on Thursday in his trusted Volvo with the two solar panels from Nottingham already secured on top.

He was met by Mr Cranford and his brother Stephen.

Mr Hongvan told Stephen Cranford: "If I could buy this in Sweden I wouldn't drive all the way here, but I did my research and I couldn't find anything like it."

Mark Cranford, who said the solar panel had attracted 26 bids, described his Swedish visitor as "a very nice chap, mad but nice".