Bluebird: Museum's legal threat over iconic craft

Bluebird reached speeds up 150mph (240kph) on Loch Fad

A Cumbrian museum has threatened legal action in an effort to reclaim the remains of Donald Campbell's Bluebird.

Wreckage was recovered from Coniston Water almost 35 years after Campbell's fatal crash in 1967 and restored by Tyneside engineer Bill Smith.

The Campbell family gifted the wreckage to Coniston's Ruskin Museum, but Mr Smith says the vessel should be seen in action by the public.

The museum has now called in lawyers to secure its return to the Lake District.

Donald Campbell was killed on Coniston Water in January 1967

Neither the Ruskin Museum Trust nor Mr Smith's Bluebird Project restoration team can agree what the boat's future should be.

Museum trustee Tracy Coward, who also chairs Coniston Parish Council, said Bluebird should be returned to Coniston village, where Donald Campbell is buried.

She said: "Bill Smith and the Bluebird Project have done a fantastic job restoring Bluebird K7 to its original working order.

"But obviously we want to see Bluebird back in Coniston and as trustees we have an obligation to protect that.

"Once Bluebird is back here we can discuss any further issues.

"We want Bluebird to be seen by as many people as possible and while it is displayed in Coniston that can be done."

Bill Smith recovered Bluebird's wreckage in 2001

But Mr Smith, whose team rebuilt Bluebird at his workshop in North Shields, said it would be an "utter tragedy" if the boat was not "out on the water for people to see".

He added: "We agreed in 2013 that if we gave sufficient notice we could take [Bluebird] away and run it. We would display the boat in the museum when we were not using it.

"We have had to go to industry and sponsors and say one day you can bring your corporate customers to see this thing go.

"Without being able to make that promise we wouldn't have been able to pay our bills."

Mr Smith confirmed he had received a letter from lawyers representing the museum, but neither he nor the museum would discuss its contents in detail.