A SOUTHAMPTON music trio has narrowly missed scaling pop's legendary league ladder. (6/12/99)

Artful Dodger had hoped a massive rush to buy their single ReRewind would be enough to topple Sir Cliff Richard off his place at number one in the nation's top of the pops chart table.

But the pop icon managed to retain pole position with his hit Millennium Prayer - which has been tipped as this year's Christmas hit.

The Southampton band - DJs Mark Hill and Pete Devereux plus singer Craig David - was the highest new entry in this week's chart at number two.

Their dance track has taken the music industry by storm and a rush to buy it left many shops struggling to meet demand for the single. The youngest member of the trio is singer Craig who is set to split with the band to go it alone.