IT seems amazing that anyone permitted it to disappear.

The font in which Thomas Hardy, one of the greatest English novelists, was baptised was removed from St Michael's Church in Stinsford, Dorset.

Church officials allowed the marble font to be taken by an appeal just after the Second World War for surplus furniture to help bombed churches.

When local people realised its worth the font was long gone and no one had a clue where it was.

That is until this month. Church-goers turned amateur detectives with the help of local radio and the font has been discovered in Winchester, at 1960s St Luke's Church in Stanmore.

Bill Jesty from St Michael's visited Stanmore to see the font. He was joined by Radio Solent's Richard Cartridge whose appeal in his The Search feature sparked the vital call.

Mr Jesty, vice-chairman and correspondent for the church, had been trying to track the white marble vase-like font for years.

It seems the font was a victim of historical authenticity. The Hardy font dates from the 18th century and the church wanted to return a medieval font in its place. So the font was removed in 1920 and put in store until 1945 when it was given away.

Rev Mike Gardner, of St Luke's, said he was startled to have confirmed a story that he thought was a myth.

He said: "The rumour was that the font was where Hardy was baptised. But there was never any proof. Only by delving through minutes in the county archives has the jigsaw been put together.

"I am very pleased to have the story confirmed. I was surprised the church gave it away.

"I don't know how Winchester, the city of Jane Austen, will take this new link. We joked on whether the Jane Austen dancers will still be allowed to practise here," he joked.

The font was initially placed in the Mission Church in Stanmore on the site of the current Sportsman's Club in Cromwell Road. When St Luke's was built in 1961 it moved up the hill to the new church.

Mr Gardner said a plaque might be put on the font and a mention in the new church leaflet

Mr Cartridge said: "It was amazing to find the font. It really was a needle in a haystack because we've since discovered that only one person who happened to be listening to The Search that day knew where it was.

"We didn't, as often happened, have a number of calls from people making suggestions; just the one - and it was spot on. Being Dorset-born, I've always loved Hardy, so it was particularly pleasing for me to be able to help put a little bit of Dorset history back into place.''