Doncaster: Vulcan XH558 to be moved from South Yorkshire home

The bomber has been kept at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, the original home base for the aircraft when it was RAF Finningley

One of the last Cold War Vulcan bombers is set to be moved from its current home in South Yorkshire.

Plans for a new hangar for the historic aircraft at its Doncaster Sheffield Airport base were scrapped in February when not enough money was raised.

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust said it had since been told it must vacate its site at the airport by June 2023.

John Sharman, chair of Vulcan to the Sky trustees, said it was "very sad news for our supporters".

Last month, Peel Group, owners of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, warned the wider site "may no longer be commercially viable" and launched a consultation into its future.

Plans for a new hangar and visitor centre for XH558 had to be scrapped in February when not enough money was raised

Mr Sharman said the trust had been informed before the future of the airport site as a whole had been cast into doubt that the agreement to keep the aircraft there would not be renewed.

Leaving its current home would be "a blow", he added, but since the aircraft had arrived at Doncaster Sheffield 11 years ago, "millions had seen and heard her fly".

The Vulcan to the Sky charity was now "exploring options" for a new home for the bomber, Mr Sharman said.

"As soon as we knew our future was likely to be away from Doncaster Sheffield Airport, we began the process of finding a safe and permanent home for XH558, an important heritage aviation asset," he said.

"We are working on two potential sites where we know we can protect her for decades to come."

The Vulcan, known as Spirit of Great Britain, was the last remaining airworthy ex-nuclear bomber of its kind

Options for the future of the aircraft, which made its last flight in 2015, included dismantling it and moving it to a new permanent home or the possibility of one more flight to move the bomber to a new site, Mr Sharman said.

The option for a one-off flight showed the trust was "exploring every option", he added.

"We were always told we would not get approval for her to fly again by the Civil Aviation Authority, however we are now in discussion with them to explore any potential way forward as if this might be an option, it's not one that we can ignore."

Mr Sharman said the option of dismantling the Vulcan would be "extremely sad" but ultimately "she would be preserved and still able to inform, educate and inspire future generations of engineers".

XH558's last flight saw it touch down at Doncaster Sheffield Airport on 28 October 2015

Vulcan bombers were part of Britain's Cold War "V-force", which also included Valiants and Victors.

They were operated by the RAF from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s.

Vulcan XH558 arrived at Doncaster Sheffield Airport in 2011 after restoration in Leicestershire and since then has been kept on rented airfield space.