A MAN who handed over thousands of pounds after being told he had scooped a £1m jackpot said he would "hate to win the National Lottery".

Michael Pratt received a letter saying he had won top prize in a draw and paid a £3,500 "administration fee" to online banking company Transglobal Security and Finance, in Holland.

The 47-year-old joiner from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, said: "I am a firm believer that you don't get anything for nothing but I just had three or four daft days when it all left me."

The father-of-two and wife, Julie, flew out on a £255 trip to Amsterdam to collect their winnings.

They were taken into a plush office, shown a strongbox packed with 100 dollar bills.

The company then asked the Pratts to pay the £3,500 administration fee before the funds could be deposited into their Internet account.

"We only realised something was wrong when we got home and had no way of accessing the money," said Mr Pratt.

"This has been a hard experience and thinking we had all that money has been very stressful for my family - I would hate to win the Lottery.

"My fear is that this could have happened to an elderly person or young couple and the results could have been devastating."

The Northern Echo contacted Transglobal Security and Finance, in Amsterdam, where spokesman Mark Dofnam said the couple were entitled to the money - if they paid a further £400 for an access code.

"He is entitled to this money until 1pm Friday and then it will go to a charity home in the Netherlands," he said.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "People should be on their guard. If something seems too good to be true it probably is."