WIMBORNE students have sent Action Man on an amazing adventure to the edge of space.

Computer science and media students at Queen Elizabeth's School used a high-altitude balloon to launch the toy this October, after abandoning plans for an earlier launch during the summer.

And their wait paid off, with Action Man reaching 115,000 feet before landing in Oxford, where he was discovered by a five-year-old boy and his family.

The team released the balloon in the school playground at exactly 12.21pm on Saturday, October 15, following Action Man's movements as he ascended more than 40,000 feet at a rate of six metres per second.

GPS signal was lost over Tidworth in Wiltshire, but the project team were able to pinpoint Action Man's descent in Sunningwell, south west of Oxford.

The toy eventually landed at 3.05pm, having flown for more than two and a half hours.

However, students and teachers were initially unable to find him, despite an hour of searching.

Assuming he was lost, they packed their gear away and began to drive home.

Just 20 minutes later, they were called by Mike Newman, of Brighthampton, who said he had discovered the spacecraft in his field.

Mr Newman told the team he wouldn't usually go into that field until April next year.

However, he had taken his daughter-in-law Gemma and grandsons Max and Jacob blackberry picking.

"It was only from the slight height of my tractor seat that I could see the bright gold covering of the spacecraft and, shortly after that, the bright orange of the parachute," he said.

IT teacher Paul Calvert said: "Mike and his family were fascinated by the project and I took the time to explain how it worked.

"We have since kept in touch and have sent them pictures from the video of the flight.

"They were truly amazed with the result."

Max, five, will now speak to his class about the find.

Jan Day of Queen Elizabeth's School said: "It seems like the team have inspired some inquisitive minds."