A REWARD is being offered to anyone who spots a missing six foot rocket which shot thousands of feet into the air at Yatesbury and vanished.

The two-inch wide, bright orange rocket with fluorescent pink parachutes, was launched three weeks ago by Steve Parker of the Southern England Rocket Flyers, whose members have been launching rockets from fields in Yatesbury for the past 22 years.

"We were experimenting because we are attempting to beat the UK record of around 14,000 feet," said Mr Parker, 35, of Bristol.

SERFS chairman John Harvey, of Southampton, said: "This particular rocket was likely to have been travelling faster than the speed of sound and probably reached about 5,000 feet."

Mr Parker is desperate to retrieve the rocket because electronics inside it will give him vital information about the rocket's performance and help him to make adjustments to improve further models.

Mr Parker said the motor-powered rocket uses the same fuel as space shuttles, but would be safe to pick up if it is found lying on the ground.

Mr Parker is offering a £20 reward to anyone who finds his rocket and can be contacted on (0117) 9571550.

The club has been using Roger Partridge's Manor Farm for rocket launches for 22 years but Mr Partridge is moving in a fortnight and members are looking for a new home.