AN INTERNET nut has forked £1,200 for a street which only exists in cyberspace.
The avid Hartlepool United fan, who calls himself Poolie for Ever, has splashed out the cash for Clarence Road, the home of Pools' Victoria Park.
www.streetdeeds.co.uk - How the deal is sealedBut he has only bought a 'virtual deed' off the website streetdeeds.co.uk, which offers web surfers the chance to buy internet versions of existing streets and not the real thing.
The mystery buyer bartered with the owner of Clarence Road online before handing over the cash to the unknown seller, who made a staggering £1,195 profit on the web deed.
Every street in the UK is offered for the original price of £5 but once someone has bought one, then it is up to the owner whether they sell and how much they sell for.
The £5 pays for a five-year lease. Once it runs out, no matter how much a deed is worth, it can be renewed for £5.
Clarence Road is now registered in the top five most-expensive cyber streets in the country, ahead of famous places such as Buckingham Palace Road, Abbey Road and Bond Street.
The man behind the website, Marcus Cicero, said: "Personally I'm quite surprised that this particular deed has re-sold for such a large amount, as I would have expected deeds related to much bigger clubs to dominate the rich list first.
"I would have to say that the fan who bough this deed must care very passionately about his team to spend such a large amount of money on a virtual title, though it wouldn't surprise me if this changes hands again further down the line."
Empire Way, next to Wembley Stadium, is the most expensive on the site after being bought for £6,200.
The most viewed is Downing Street, the home address of the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with 46,440 views compared to Clarence Road's 3,976, putting it at 170 in the most popular ranking table.
Are you the mystery shopper who bought Clarence Road? If so contact the Mail newsdesk on (01429) 239381 or email mail.news@northeast-press.co.uk.