It was launched from a flatbed truck, its sole occupant a teddy bear from the local primary school.

But the successful, if brief, launch yesterday of Britain’s largest rocket paves the way for the UK to take a giant leap in the space race with the development of a three-seater capsule fuelled by recycled tyres.

Entrepreneur Steve Bennett, who founded his own company in a bid to send people into space, believes he is now just two years away from realising his dream.

The next step is the development of the Nova II, a rocket powered by fuel uniquely made partly from recycled tyres, and which he hopes will be capable of lifting a capsule that can carry human beings.