A DESPERATE disc jockey is offering a £1,000 reward for the safe return of his prized record collection.

Veteran DJ David Bassett has lost at least 180 discs which he started buying in the early 1970s when he began his musical career.

Some of his favourite titles in the lost collection include the 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and George Michael's 1987 hit album Faith.

The 50-year-old, a resident DJ at the Crown Inn, School Road, Chislehurst, believes he lost the two boxes containing the vinyl between June 10 and December 4 last year.

He values the collection at around £4,000.

Mr Bassett said: "I'm absolutely gutted.

"To me, those albums are the same as what a woman's diary is to her.

"They are my life. To me, they are priceless."

He added: "Last year I have been in the process of moving house and putting things into storage, so somewhere along the line they've gone."

Mr Bassett, who works in newspaper production by day, put the LPs into storage at the Safestore, Cray Avenue, Orpington, in May 2005.

At the time he lived in the Blanchard Close, Mottingham, where he met his wife, Susie, 46.

He sold up and moved in with her a few houses down the road in November 2005.

Then, in June last year he collected his possessions from the Safestore storage unit.

On December 4 last year, the couple moved to their dream home in Crossmead, Eltham.

Mr Bassett added: "It was only when I started sorting through my stuff in our new home I realised the records had gone missing.

"I have checked with lost property at the storage centre and the removal company which helped us move house, but to no avail.

"So I could have lost them in Orpington, Mottingham or Eltham. Please help."

The 180 records are in two yellow boxes labelled "LPs Box 1" and "LPs Box 5".

Call Mr Bassett on 07944 033962 if you can help.