Campbells urge Bluebird rethink

Bluebird was salvaged from Coniston Water in March 2001

The family of the man who died trying to break his own water speed record on Coniston Water have made a fresh call for his speedboat to be restored.

Donald Campbell died when the Bluebird crashed in 1967 as he raced the across the Cumbrian lake.

His body and the craft were recovered 30 years later.

His family want the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to rethink their refusal to fund the project which would see the Bluebird restored and put on display.

The underwater surveyor and amateur diver who discovered the wreck, Bill Smith, wants to exhibit the restored craft in the Ruskin and Coniston Museum.

'Homecoming'

Mr Smith said: "The plans for the craft have always been made by its owners, the Campbell Family Heritage Trust. What they don't want to see is a macabre wreck displayed.

"The boat has had more successes than failures and that's how we want it remembered.

"The plan, as hatched in 2001, was to rebuild Bluebird to its original condition and run the boat on the lake again in a sort of triumphant homecoming event."

But HLF has said there are too many question marks for them to hand out £600,000 needed for the work.

HLF manager for the North West Tony Jones said: "We only very rarely support the restoration to working order of high-speed vehicles because of the very high risks posed to them when back in action.

"We fully recognise the importance and drama of the Bluebird story and are encouraging the applicant to focus on a museum-led conservation project which would allow that story to be told."