A PUZZLE fan was left devastated after completing the world’s biggest jigsaw only to discover four of its 33,600 pieces were missing.

    Jeremy Baker-Deam, from the Isle of Wight, England, said it was a huge blow to find several bits were missing from the epic jungle scene — which measures 5.7 meters long by 1.57 meters tall and took more than a year to complete.

    Baker-Deam had snapped up the puzzle after seeing it on sale online, knocked down from £700 to £150 (US$866 to US$185).

    He built it in sections, with parts put together in different rooms around his house in Ryde.

    But he had to send off to the manufacturers in Spain after discovering it was incomplete.

    That was despite taking over cleaning duties in the house from his wife Caroline, due to fears she might accidentally vacuum up some of the pieces.

    The manufacturers were only able to help after he provided grid references for the absent pieces.

    “I can’t even describe the devastation I felt when I realized the pieces were missing.

    “But the feeling when I was able to finish the jigsaw with the missing pieces was indescribable,” said Baker-Deam, who works for his local bowls club, where the jigsaw is now on display.

    Despite his impressive efforts, Baker-Deam is not sitting back just yet. He has already started work on the world’s second-largest jigsaw, which is a mere 32,000 pieces.

    “My aim is to complete the 10 largest jigsaw puzzles in the world, I expect it will take me 10 years — my family think I’m mad, they keep on saying ‘rather you than me,’” he said.

    (SD-Agencies)