A stunning £4 million Tudor-era house in Batheaston, near Bath, that was recently awarded as a prize in an Omaze charity giveaway, has been defaced with graffiti. Earlier this week, black spray paint bearing the chilling message “house is next” was found scrawled across the exterior walls of the six-bedroom property.
The historic residence, located just minutes from Bath’s city centre, was gifted to winners Paul Knight, 47, and his partner Justin Snowdon, 36, following an Omaze draw that raised an impressive £4.6 million for the British Heart Foundation. Omaze runs contests where participants can win luxury homes, vehicles, and holidays, with part of the proceeds supporting charitable causes.
Local residents expressed their dismay over the vandalism. One commented, “Such a shame to see graffiti over the Omaze house gates and walls. The new owners must be wondering what kind of place they’ve moved into.”
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Paul Knight recalled the moment he found out about their extraordinary win: “I was at work when I got the message from Omaze. I was reading about a lost lottery ticket and thought, ‘That’s just my luck,’ but it turned out completely different. When I saw all the cameras, I suspected something big was happening. Being told I’d won a £4 million country house left me utterly gobsmacked. It was surreal—I had to rush straight back to work and just played it cool with my colleagues.”
Despite the excitement of becoming multi-millionaires overnight, the new homeowners now face the unfortunate reality of their prize property being targeted by vandals.