An auction to sell a house belonging to pollster Walton Brown, Jr. was cancelled at the eleventh hour yesterday.

Coach House, in Ferrar's Lane, Pembroke, was due to go under the hammer at 4 p.m. yesterday under order of the Supreme Court.

But auctioneer Leonard Gibbons said he received instructions at lunchtime from head bailiff Bob Smith, the Deputy Provost Marshal General, to cancel the sale.

When asked if he thought was because monies owed had been repaid, Mr. Gibbons said: "I assume so".

Neither Mr. Brown nor Mr. Smith could be contacted for comment yesterday.