THE winner of an "impossible" and unusual treasure hunt in Colchester has won more than £2,500.

Sarah Jones, an administrator at Colchester Borough Homes, solved the poem made up of 100 street names and five different subjects, with just obscure photos of street signs and their surroundings to help her.

It took two attempts to cinch the competition - she got one name wrong the first time which ended up being in Walton - with the final answer being The Folly, in Tiptree.

The 29-year-old said: "It nearly killed me. It looked like a new development so I was completely looking in the wrong areas, but it was a tip-off from someone at work who pointed me in the direction of Tiptree.

Gazette:

Sarah is now more familiar with the subtleties  of road signs than she has ever been 

"When I drove there and found it, I was ecstatic.

"People probably thought I was mad in the pitch black with the headlights shining on this street sign while I took a photo.

"Three of my answers came from colleagues at work as the book went in with me. I said I'd give some of the money to the colleague who helped with Tiptree as I probably wouldn't have got it without his help."

An estimated 1,5000 competitors tried their luck at the perplexing arts project, run by Colchester Arts Centre with the help of performance artist Joshua Sofaer, who feared it would never be solved.

It took Sarah 46 days.

Her strategy was to first attack the obvious pictures, uncover a theme and then input every Colchester road name into an Excel spreadsheet.

Google Earth was also used to double check the photos.

Gazette:

Anthony Roberts with Erik Martens, Joshua Sofaer, Victoria Steinitz, town crier Robert Needham and Lizzie Gutteridge, of Colchester Waits

READ MORE: WERE YOU THERE FOR THE LAUNCH OF STREET HUNT?

She said: "I thought it was going to take five years. Some were impossible so I didn't have a timescale, but as I got closer, I had a goal to at least solve one each evening until I finished.

"I'm not a competitive person, I just really enjoyed taking part in it. It's a great thing to have in Colchester.

"In the evenings it's been really fun investigating street signs so I'll miss it."

With a wedding to fund in 2019 and an Icelandic adventure next month, Sarah and fiancé Adam Wright have plenty to spend the prize money on.

Anthony Roberts, director of Colchester Arts Centre, said: “The response to Street Hunt has been amazing.

"I know people have found it equally enjoyable and frustrating. It’s had people pounding the streets and discovering more about our wonderful town and the surrounding area.”

If you want a book to try it without the hope of a prize, visit Colchester Arts Centre box office or Red Lion Books for unsold copies.