BARGAIN-hungry shoppers are cashing in at a York travel agent's holiday auction - where one trip has already gone under the hammer for only £1.

Holidaymakers are competing fiercely at Going Places to buy one of a handful of last-minute deals that are available to the highest bidder.

Up to 100 customers have attended the weekly one-hour auction hoping to grab one of a handful of trips to European destinations such as Crete, Tenerife and Ibiza.

And one Mediterranean trip has already been snapped up for its reserve price of just £1 when nobody was available to travel at short notice.

Auctioneer and Going Places late sales manager Angela Holliday said most of the short breaks were being sold for at least half price.

She said: "It's a novel way of buying a holiday. It's a bit of fun for the customers and they also get a bargain holiday in the process."

Store manager Kelly Scott said she had been amazed with the response to the offer so far.

She said: "Customers can bid online for holidays but we believe we are one of the first travel stores to offer a live auction."

Graham Tomlinson, 22, and Sam Kelly, 20, of Hull Road, bought a week-long trip to Tenerife for £100 each.

Sam, who works at Norwich Union, said: "It's a brilliant deal and we can't wait until we leave at the start of next week."

The store, which has been open for four years and employs 66 people, has already sold thousands of pounds worth of holidays by auction and plans to continue the events for two more weeks. The holidays on offer are revealed on the day of the auction and have a reserve price of £1. Bids can be taken by phone up until the beginning of the auction at noon.

The next event will take place on Wednesday, June 26, at the Monks Cross store and will feature five holidays.

Updated: 11:40 Friday, June 21, 2002