THE SCOUT motto is 'be prepared', but two newlywed scout leaders from Oxford have put out an urgent appeal for help on their latest mission: finding their missing marriage certificate.

Rebecca Lord and Richard Butler tied the knot at Queen's College, Oxford, on Saturday and said it was the happiest day of their lives.

Twenty-four hours later they were forced to launch a panicky hunt for their most important 'scout badge' ever – just as they were about to jet off on their honeymoon in New York.

The precious paper was left in a rucksack in the back of a taxi by Mr Butler's two best men on the wedding night.

As soon as they realised their blunder they frantically phoned every cab company in Oxford, but all to no avail.

Now the couple from Littlemore have put out a desperate plea for anyone who might have their sacred certificate to return it, no questions asked – for a £100 reward.

Mrs Butler said: "Our wedding was such fun and everyone had such a lot to drink, I think our best men just forgot about the backpack.

"Bless them they, were phoning all the taxi companies in Oxford all night."

The 31-year-old teacher explained that because the best men and their wives had hailed a passing taxi in High Street, they had not noticed which company it was from, though they thought it was a Hackey carriage.

What they do know is they got out of the taxi in Littlemore some time between 12.30am and 1.30am.

Mrs Butler, who grew up in Cowley, met her future husband, who is from Middlesbrough on a scouting expedition in 2012.

They are both now scout leaders at the Buzz Explorer Unit (4th Oxford) in Botley.

By day Mrs Butler is a primary school teacher and Mr Butler, 29, is an engineer at McLaren F1 in Woking.

They reported the missing marriage certificate to the police but said they hoped an Oxford Mail appeal might reach whoever now had the rucksack.

Mrs Butler added: "It has legal importance but it's also the first thing we have signed together as a married couple and it would be really nice to see it again.

"We can replace it, but it just wouldn't be the same."

The couple are offering a £100 reward to whoever returns the certificate either to St Aldate's Police Station in Oxford or the Oxford Mail offices.

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