We all love a January sales bargain, but one person has surely pipped us all to the month's best steal after claiming they have been offered £500,000 for a number plate certificate bought for £799.

The number plate, which says "LO17 DAN" and boasts the new 2017 registration, was purchased by a seller under the eBay account "avdhudala-0" on January 4 this year.

The DVLA confirmed it was sold for £799 and the seller, who says the plate can be collected from an address in west London, and put it up on sale for £2.5million.

It is claimed by the seller, who has asked to stay anonymous, that the highest offer so far has been tabled at £500,000 from a Saudi Arabian man, less than one week after it was put on sale.

National Numbers, which has been commissioned to sell the number plate, said it was not aware of the offer.

But it has not been possible to view the highest offer on eBay to verify the claim.

According to National Numbers, the seller has purchased the certificate from DVLA giving him full rights to "LO17 DAN" but it can only be used on vehicles as of March 16.

Whoever owns the certificate will have to instruct a garage to fit one on a vehicle, National Numbers added.

The seller told getwestlondon he was "overwhelmed by the response received".

He added: "The registration is available to all buyer (sic) globally, and who can register it on their vehicle in England, the registration will always be the pride and joy of London and to the new owner."

The seller had previously said that selling the certificate was an attempt to break the British record for most expensive number plate.

Currently the British record for most expensive number plate is £518,480, which reads "25 O".

The item has not been put under auction on eBay, with the seller saying that payment must be immediate but that they will "accept reasonable offers".

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