IT is the kind of property which should sell itself.

Trees line the surrounding roads, the beach is just minutes away and a permanent tranquillity hangs pleasantly in the air.

Yet Jackqui Wright and Peggy Palmer, who own the half a million pound Barton-on-Sea home, have been fighting off bad publicity - thanks to their estate agents.

Mischievous staff at Austin and Wyatt accidentally filed a prank description of the £495,000 property in Highlands Road.

Instead of describing the facilities and number of rooms in the house, the ad poked fun at the whole village - and its residents, many of who are elderly.

The description, which appeared in a newspaper, read: "The prop (property) benefits from various elderly neighbours. Local amenities include a funeral directors, bingo hall and Doris's Hair Salon who provides the latest blue rinse styles."

Ms Palmer, 71, said: "It's not a slight on the property, it's a slight on Barton-on-Sea. I was shaking when I read it I was so angry.

"It's not accurate. We haven't got a bingo hall, we haven't got Doris's hairdressers, there are several funeral parlours but every town has funeral directors.

"I'm old and I don't have a blue rinse and I never will have one."

Daughter Ms Wright, 50, said Austin and Wyatt were quick to apologise.

She said: "They offered to put an apology in the paper, a reduction in fees for selling the property and anything else I wanted.

"They're still waiting to know what I intend to do."

She said staff had told her the person responsible had offered her resignation which had been refused.

The mother-of-three said: "It was a joke in the office. They were playing around with the prints for the property. It was supposed to get deleted but it didn't.

"I can see the funny side of it but it's a bit detrimental to Barton-on-Sea. Buyers wouldn't look very impressed if they saw that ad in the paper. It just doesn't look good for this area."

She added that a deal with potential buyers found by rival estate agents Mitchells looked promising.

Neighbour Oliver Lacey, 87, said: "It's insulting. I can't see it does the estate agent any good. I think it's just generally insulting to the neighbourhood."

Louis Powell, managing director of Austin and Wyatt in the UK, blamed human error for the mistake.

He said: "Something which had previously been written in jest, and had nothing to do with the property concerned, was accidentally transferred to the property details and printed in error.

"The person concerned has been disciplined accordingly.

"We have apologised profusely to the owner and offered to sell their property for a considerably reduced commisson. We will also be printing a formal apology in next week's issue."

Mr Powell refused to comment on reports that the employee who made the error had offered to resign. "I don't see that it's relevant," he said.

John Hutchins, councillor for Barton-on-Sea, which combined with New Milton has a population of 28,900, said: "I'm Barton born and bred and I've no recollection of a bingo hall or Doris's Hair Salon."

The former chairman of New Forest District Council added: "But it's fair to say that the population is predominately elderly. Barton is a very pleasant place to retire."