A BASS guitar stolen from rock legend Bill Wyman when the Rolling Stones played in New Zealand 38 years ago has finally been returned to the musician.For more than 15 years, the teardrop-shaped guitar hung on the bedroom wall of New Zealand musician Nick Sceats, who had been given it in payment of a debt.

A BASS guitar stolen from rock legend Bill Wyman when the Rolling Stones played in New Zealand 38 years ago has finally been returned to the musician.

For more than 15 years, the teardrop-shaped guitar hung on the bedroom wall of New Zealand musician Nick Sceats, who had been given it in payment of a debt.

Rumour said the guitar had been stolen from Wyman, who now lives in the plush Gedding Hall, near Lavenham, when the Stones were in Wellington in 1966.

Sceats set out to discover the truth and last week received a letter from Wyman confirming the guitar was his.

"I was so delighted to read your email regarding my long-lost, but not forgotten, Vox bass guitar," Wyman wrote.

"I just couldn't believe it had turned up and that you were trying to make contact to return it to me - my profound thanks to you."

With the guitar's history confirmed, it could be of considerable value but Sceats air-freighted the bass back to Wyman.

And Sceats expects nothing in return: "I don't see why he should pay for something that was stolen from him."

While the guitar went missing while Wyman was a member of the iconic Rolling Stones it could be used in the 21st century to play the songs of the rock legend's new band, The Rhythm Kings.

The all-star group, which was formed after Wyman decided he wanted to play music that inspired his youth in more intimate surroundings, played at the Ipswich Regent Theatre earlier this year.

And while Wyman has been settling into the country life at his Suffolk mansion he was surprised to learn that another part of his hazy history was solved.

Last month he discovered that his ancestors had slightly more of a prestigious and artistic background than he had presumed.

While believing that his relatives were Londoners born and bred he and his son, Steve, who lives nearby in Gedding, found that they had unexpected ties to Stratford-upon-Avon and to the parish church where Shakespeare was christened almost 500 years ago.