A FINAL appeal has been made to get Donald Campbell’s record-breaking boat back to the Lake District in one piece.

The world watched in horror back in 1967 when speed legend Donald Campbell was killed while attempting to set a new water speed world record on Coniston.

The wreckage, which the Campbell family gifted to Coniston’s Ruskin Museum in 2006, was handed over to Tyneside engineer Bill Smith on the understanding that, once restored, it would be returned to Coniston.

However, despite the completion of an £800,000 purpose-built extension to house the boat in 2010, Coniston is still to see the boat’s return.

Almost two decades after the wreckage of Bluebird was pulled from the bottom of Coniston its future still hangs in the balance.

The Ruskin Museum and the Campbell family have made a final appeal to get the boat K7 back to the Lakes in one piece, to its legal owners.

Solicitors for the Museum, where a special wing was constructed to display the record breaker, have sent a letter to Bill Smith who has restored Bluebird K7 asking him to return the boat to the museum as promised, and not go ahead with the threat of taking it apart. He is claiming that the parts used to restore the record breaker are his.

Jeff Carroll Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Ruskin Museum said: "We recognise the work Bill Smith and his team of volunteers have done, but he has broken the agreement we had with him, both legally and morally.

“For him and his colleagues to threaten to take apart this British icon and remove ‘his parts’ is reprehensible and cannot be allowed.

“We want K7 to return to Coniston and ideally for her to run on occasion. That has been our stated ideal for some time, but at every turn, Bill Smith has tried to retain control over the museum’s property and thwart our aims and that of thousands of enthusiasts, who just want to see the boat in Coniston and on the lake where Donald carried out his famous speed runs and record breaking.

“We hope that common sense will prevail and that Bluebird K7 will be housed in the wing of the Museum especially constructed for her, and in once piece. However, if this doesn’t happen, then court proceedings will be issued, and it will then mean that Bluebird K7 will be taken apart and Mr Smith and the Bluebird Project will retain the parts they claim as their own property. We reiterate this is the very last resort, but we need to bring this situation to a close.

“If Bluebird K7 is disassembled then we will re-build her so she can be displayed and run again. Plans are in place if we have to take this course of action.”

Gina Campbell, Donald Campbell’s daughter speaking on behalf of the Campbell family said: “I am appalled at the way that Bill Smith has behaved. The family and the Museum trusted him to restore the boat so that it could be displayed in the museum but at every turn he has prevented this from happening.

“He has not kept to his side of the agreement and has misrepresented the wishes of the Campbell family, and the museum.”

In response, Bill Smith: "There doesn't seem to be anything new in this appeal. This time the museum are saying they want all of the Bluebird - but the situation remains unchanged.

"They won't sit down with us around a table and agree on a contract so the Bluebird can be taken to the Lakes in one piece.

"They're saying one thing in public and something else behind closed doors.

"We were prepared to give the Bluebird back in bits - but now they want all of it. Well they can have it, once a contract is signed and agreed on, it can be back in the Lakes - we've said that for three years.

"We're happy for it to be displayed on the Lakes once we decide on a new contract through negotiation."