The message
from "Miss Perspicacia Tick" contains these words:

According to my book (/The Illustrated Book of Insects/ by John Burton) the
Rose Chafer is a little on the large side as it's nearly 1" (25mm) long.

IME they are a bit smaller than that - between say, 15mm - 20mm, and not
very common overall.

One question to ask: - did it have a discernable thorax (ladybirds don't)?

And another, was the wing-case 'waisted'?

w # # w
\ \M/ /
\ ..·.. /
\/_..._\/
( \ / )
/) | (\
// | \\
/ | | | \
m /\__|__/\ m
| \___/ |
| |
| |
m m

A similar scarab is Gnorimus nobilis, and that's a bit smaller.

To be entymologically correct, beetles aren't bugs; bugs are a distinct
order with piercing mouthparts (the term really shouldn't be used to mean
'insects').

Jewel bugs really /are/ bugs (genus of shieldbug) so, no, you wouldn't.
Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, there are no species of jewel bug
native to the UK. When I googled for 'jewel bug' about 85% of the hits were
for Australian and New Zealand sites, so I would hazard a guess that the
antipodes are where they are most prevalent.

I've never head of a 'jewel bug'.

There are several species of ground beetle (so called because they are poor
fliers) which might fit the bill but, unfortunately, none have common names
(at least according to the book I'm consulting).

Sorry, that's the best I can do. You could try posting to
uk.rec.natural-history see if you have better luck there.

I'd hazard a guess at Phyllobius argentatus - that fits the bill fairly
well. Other possibilities are Spanish fly (yes, that one!)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/