A FATHER auctioned invitations to a barbecue at his dream home for £20,000 – to raise the money he needs to buy it.

Brian Adams, 29, claimed the eBay auction was his “last resort” as there was no other way for his family to finance a move to a bigger house in Oxford.

He and wife Ossa, 33, and children Brogan and Rocky, live in a two-bedroom social housing flat in Wyatt Road, North Oxford.

But eBay has now taken down the sale, which the father-of-two admitted was a stunt.

The barbecue would have been held at his chosen property.

Mr Adams said he wanted to show how families living on one wage were penalised in the city.

Mr Adams, who works for an Internet firm in the city, said today’s society was “backward” when it came to dealing with families.

Single parents, unmarried couples and those forced out by parents get a better deal, he said.

He said: “You get given a nice little home paid for courtesy of the taxpayer, and then move your partner in a few weeks later, don’t declare them, and you get to enjoy their wage or benefits fully with no bills or stress.”

The auction attracted no bids before it was taken down.

He said: “I never believed anyone would bid, but it at least gave me a place to vent my frustrations about being stuck in an impossible position, like so many other honest, decent families.

“I would need to buy, but as we choose to have our children brought up by their biological mum instead of a childminder or nursery, trying to get a mortgage on one wage, with no state benefits because I work full time, it is extremely difficult.

“We decided that it was time to start looking at getting a bigger home if possible.”

He said there was “no chance” of a property from Oxford City Council because of the high demand.

He said: “We’ll only become entitled to a larger home if we have more kids than we can afford. Thankfully we’re not that irresponsible.”

Mr Adams said he was looking to work extra hours at the weekend to make ends meet.

But he said: “Even if I find a job the income from that will never provide enough money to raise that sort of deposit before my boys are old enough to start work.

“We are very lucky to have a roof over our head, I don’t take this for granted.

“But when you see people get given such beautiful council homes who either do not deserve them due to cheating the system, or who do not take care of them and leave their gardens looking like a junk yard, it’s hard not feel ignored by the powers-that-befor trying to bring your family up honestly and with hard work.”