THE SEARCH is on for a rare piece of Beatles memorabilia which was manufactured in Marlow in the 1960s but has since disappeared.

A limited number of the Beatles Bingo game was made by a company called Toy Works, which was based in the town and a specialist collectors' company is now hoping that with "a little help from their friends" and the people of Marlow they can track it down.

Very little is known about Toy Works and even less about the elusive Bingo game.

Tracks, which says it is the world's leading specialist in Beatles and rare pop memorabilia, is trying to trace the item which in its original box could be worth more than £2,000.

Tracks spokesman Jason Cornthwaite said: "It's the strangest piece of Beatles memorabilia I have come across. It's so elusive and we can't even find a decent picture of it."

The game was first spotted by the company in a photograph taken by the late Beatles photographer Dezo Hoffman which was published in two fans' magazines in 1964.

The picture shows a mock up of a typical Beatles fans bedroom from the 1960s decorated with Beatles wallpaper and various items of Beatles merchandise, including the game.

Beatles merchandise was also normally accompanied by promotional material such as posters and advertising but none has ever surfaced relating to the Bingo game.

After hours of research all the company discovered was that it was made by a company called Toy Works, based in Marlow, and owned by a man called Lolek Holzer.

The factory is believed to have been located on the current Court Garden swimming pool site, alongside another factory, called Crauford Engineering Works.

If you can help, contact reporter Laura Enfield on 01494 755088 or Tracks on 01257 269726.