HUNDREDS of people turned out to welcome the Bluebird K7 back to its spiritual home.

Eager fans lined the village streets yesterday to welcome Donald Campbell's iconic hydroplane back to Coniston for the first time in 23 years.

The record-breaking vessel returned to the Lake District to be welcomed by the daughter of its pilot in an 'emotional reunion.

The hydroplane flipped into the air and disintegrated, killing Campbell on January 4 1967 as he attempted a new water speed record on Coniston Water.

The wreckage, along with Mr Campbell’s body with his race suit intact, was recovered in 2001 by engineer Bill Smith.

The vessel was transported from Mr Smith's yard in North Shields and reached Coniston just after 5pm on Saturday amid a carnival atmosphere.

It was welcomed by Gina Campbell alongside a host of Bluebird fans from around the world.

It will be put on permanent display in the Bluebird wing of the Ruskin Museum, a short distance from where Mr Campbell is buried in Coniston Churchyard.

The vice chairman of the Ruskin Museum Trustees, Jeff Carroll, said the return of the vessel was 'an emotional moment for all concerned'.

Mr Carroll said: “Today is the culmination of a number of years of hard work.

“Finally, we can fulfil the deed of gift from the Campbell family from 2006, and the Bluebird wing will have its centrepiece.”

In a Facebook post on Saturday, a museum spokesperson said: "I have so many thank yous to do over the next few days but at the moment I honestly want to thank everyone who came out to see us in that bitter weather, it was unbelievably emotional to see people on bridges and on the roadside and lining the streets and Coniston & Torver was just amazing.

"Thank you all."

The museum is due to reopen to the public on March 19.

Mr Campbell broke eight world speed records on water and on land in the 1950s and 1960s.

In his fatal record attempt, the son of Sir Malcolm Campbell, who himself held land and water speed records, had set himself a target of reaching 300mph on Coniston Water.

In August 2018, the reconstructed craft, fitted with a new jet engine, took to the water again where it hit speeds of around 150mph.

The return follows years of negotiations and legal disputes.