PLACES are still available for the trip of a lifetime to find a lost tribe of 'hairy men' in north-east India.

Explorer John Blashford-Snell, of the Dorset-based Scientific Explor-ation Society, is leading the adventure to Meghalaya in the hope of discovering a fabled people dwelling deep in limestone caves.

The 66-year-old trekker said: "We have very little information about them apart from they have been reported, but it would be nice to find out if there is any truth in the rumour.

"I may have seen one two years ago, he was a very fine-looking chap with long hair down to his waist, standing there stark naked with his spear.

"But he was not that hairy, so he might not be one of the people we are looking for.

"It may just be that they want to keep away from the rest of us - I expect they are at a quite good stage of civilisation, surviving on natural resources.

"I am not suggesting we interfere with their lives at all - we will leave them in peace and be very careful about things like bringing in an outside disease which can wipe them out.

"They may avoid contact or get angry if anyone approaches.

"We will try to find out if there is any evidence of them in the area and look for places where they have been gathering, hunting or making fires."

Reported sightings of the mysterious men came from the little-known Lingum tribe, who live in the Meghalaya Hills in the eastern Himalayas, known as the 'land of clouds'.

They invited Col Blashford-Snell and his team to their remote village, Riang Maw, to provide a clean water supply by building channels, laying pipes to a storage tank and installing a pump.

The tribe, which survives by fishing and trapping, will also introduce the explorers to their culture and history as well as traditional arts and crafts.

The colonel, affectionately known as 'Blashers', will be accompanied by 10-14 others including Doctor John Davies from Truro, who will carry out a nutritional survey of the tribal people, and baronet Sir Charles Blois, who will film the trip.

The remaining applicants must be fit and have a sense of humour.

The expedition, which runs from November 17 to December 5, costs £3,000 and includes flights, transfers, accommodation, food and insurance.

For more details, call expedition co-ordinator Fiona Place on 01747 854898.