A RARE space rock found in the region four years ago failed to find a bidder as a meteorite fan’s collection raised £110,000 at auction.

Meteorite hunter Rob Elliott found the rock in North Yorkshire with his wife Irene and it was part of his collection up for sale on August 18.

Dubbed the Hambleton Meteorite it was found close to the Kilburn White Horse, near Thirsk, and it was the star piece of the sale.

Mr Elliott, of Fife, Scotland asked auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, of Edinburgh, to sell his 170-piece collection.

It is the UK’s largest collection of space memorabilia to go to auction and it includes rock from the Moon and Mars.

The Hambleton Meteorite was valued at £60-90,000 but there were no bidders for it.

Mr Elliott, 48, a meteorite hunter for 13 years, said: "We are very pleased with how it has gone and we’ve sold 85 per cent of the collection.

"To have bought the Hambleton Meteorite someone would have needed very deep pockets. We’re now looking to target museums around the world with it.

"The sale’s generated a lot of interest and it’s caught the imagination of the general public."

The Hambleton Meteorite is rare as it is classed as a pallasite meaning it has a certain stone and iron composition.

Only one per cent of meteorites found are pallasites and at 17kg when found the Hambleton piece is one of the largest found in the UK.

The rock has been broken up with most of it in laboratories and museums with Mr Elliott holding a 5.8kg chunk.

Gavin Strang, a director of Lyon and Turnbull, said: "Unfortunately the big star of the show the Hambleton Meteorite did not attract any bidders.

"It’s a shame but it was expensive and times change and it’s difficult at the moment in the world."