Bluebird: Bill Smith 'targeted' in ownership legal bid

Mr Smith's Bluebird project ran the restored craft on the Isle of Bute in 2018

The man who restored Donald Campbell's record-breaking Bluebird says he will "fight to the death" following legal action over its ownership.

Coniston's Ruskin Museum is calling on engineer Bill Smith to return the craft, which he has been restoring in North Tyneside.

His team was enlisted to repair it in 2006 and has since claimed a stake in its ownership due to that work.

A display of Bluebird in Yorkshire this weekend has been cancelled.

Donald Campbell was killed in January 1967 as he attempted to break the water speed world record, with Bluebird laying at the bottom of Coniston Water until it was raised by Mr Smith in 2001.

The museum was gifted the wreckage five years later by Mr Campbell's daughter, Gina Campbell, on the understanding Mr Smith would restore it.

On Thursday, the museum issued legal proceedings, describing the move as a "last resort" following "several years of trying to persuade Mr Smith and his organisation to honour the original agreement and allow [Bluebird] K7 to be brought back to Coniston so that she can be displayed in the bespoke Bluebird Wing of the museum which cost in excess of £750,000 to build and equip".

In response, Mr Smith issued a statement saying he felt "targeted".

Speaking to the BBC, the North Shields-based engineer called legal action an "unnecessary escalation" and stood firm in the belief that his Bluebird Project venture part-owns the craft.

Mr Smith recovered Bluebird's wreckage in 2001 and was later asked to restore it

"We'll fight to the death," he said. "It's so unfair on so many people. If it takes a five-year legal battle and hundreds of thousands of pounds then that's what we'll do.

"I've fought many expensive legal battles [with other people]. It'll be expensive for the museum too. There are risks and it can go wrong for either party.

"They want us to just walk off without the boat. That's not going to happen."

Mr Smith has previously said his team had restored half the craft with the other half built "from scratch" and that he was not prepared to "go empty-handed after 15 years of work".

He had planned to take Bluebird to Elvington, near York, this weekend as part of a drag racing and car show, with K7's engine due to be fired up in front of onlookers.

That appearance has now been cancelled, although Mr Smith said he and other Bluebird Project team members would still attend with a merchandise stall.

In December the Ruskin Museum wrote to event organisers informing them the display of Bluebird was not permitted.