A COMPANY boss selling people the chance of a dream holiday in Florida has insisted the offer is not a con, after police and trading standards officials said they were monitoring the operation.

Blackpool-based TFC Life Ltd began promoting £1 draw tickets throughout the country after forming last July.

Contestants are told they have to give at least one correct answer to a set of ten questions to qualify for the draw, which offers a prize of a holiday for two and £2,000 in spending money.

Company director Thomas Corry, 26, who has relatives in Darwen, says the draw will be made on March 17 and winners revealed in an advertisement in the News of the World on Sunday, May 4.

Mr Corry, who is running the company with his brother Frank, 27, has said they are donating 15p of every £1 they receive to specialist care units throughout the country.

But he insisted TFC Life Ltd was not a registered charity.

Mr Corry said the company had so far sold around 10,000 tickets, of which 2,500 had been returned and entered in the draw, and donated more than £2,000 to care units.

He added: "We had setting-up costs so as yet have not made any money at all. But we are already preparing to offer a holiday for two in Barbados for our next draw. "We set up in business to make money but have been pestered by trading standards officials, who say they will be watching to make sure the draw takes place.

"I can assure people it will. We have people selling the tickets for us on a commission-only basis but have expressly told them not to tell people all the money is going to special care baby units.

"We are a legally-run, legitimate business."

Trading Standards officials admitted they were looking closely at the draw after having details passed to them.

Blackburn Council has confirmed it has received an inquiry from company representatives asking if it would need a licence to operate in the town. It has referred the matter to its legal department and the police.

Local police have responded to rumours that the company will soon begin selling in the area by seeking legal advice on whether it is in breach of the Gaming Act.

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