A PUZZLE expert believes he may have solved one of the greatest mysteries in the history of mankind by coming up with a computer programme showing how Stonehenge was built.

The question of Stonehenge's beginnings - particularly how the stones were moved to the site from the Prescilly mountains in Wales, and what the site was originally used for - has stumped archaeologists and historians for centuries.

But now, after 30 years devoted to the issue, life-long Mensa member, puzzle expert and inventor of the Bedlam cube Bruce Bedlam believes that he may finally have solved the riddle of the stones.

Through painstaking analysis of the structural properties of Stonehenge, Mr Bedlam has come up with a theory that the stones we now see standing alone on the site were once the foundation blocks of a giant wooden structure.

He said: "I am not an archaeologist nor an academic, but I am a very systematic, logical person with many years of experience in searching for the unknown.

"I decided to take on Stonehenge as a challenge after I first saw the stones in 1972, when I was in the army at Tidworth.

"I instantly became obsessed with it and knew it would take years to solve, but I set about it like I would with any puzzle.

"I asked questions such as Why are the stones so big?', Why are they in a circle?' and Why are they joined together?' - and the one answer in common to all these questions is that Stonehenge was once a magnificent, architecturally perfect building.

"The major breakthrough came when we heard about the outer holes around the stones, which were used as footings for giant wooden buttresses. These buttresses provided the support for the whole structure and allowed the building to be held up by gravity alone, without the need for screws or bolts."

However, since Mr Bedlam does not have academic accreditation, he has found it difficult to gain acceptance for his theories about the prehistoric monument - a situation he hopes will change after teaming up with computer experts at Bournemouth University.

He said: "As I am not an academic, people are reluctant to accept what I have done.

"However, now that Geoff Coope from Bournemouth University has helped me put this animation together, we have something which is quick, easy for people to view and visually stunning.

"Once people have seen the animation and accept the theory that Stonehenge was a building, then it can open up a more informed debate about what this building may have been used for."

To view the computer-generated video of what Stonehenge may once have looked like, go to Video News.

For more information about Bruce Bedlam's Stonehenge project, log on to www.stonehenge.tv