Historic Bluebird in eBay threat

Bluebird was salvaged from Coniston Water in March 2001

The daughter of water speed hero Donald Campbell is threatening to sell the wreck of his boat on auction site eBay after falling out with Lottery bosses.

Gina Campbell is also considering dumping the jet-powered Bluebird K7 back in the Cumbrian lake where it crashed after a restoration cash row.

Her father died in 1967 while trying to break his own world water speed record.

Ms Campbell wants the boat to be repaired, but the Lottery Heritage Fund wants it to remain partially damaged.

The wreck of the craft was raised from Coniston Water in the Lake District in 2001 and has sat in the workshop of the diver who found it ever since.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) believes the crash is the most important aspect of the boat's history and it should be displayed partially damaged.

Ms Campbell said she will not settle for less than her dream

It is only willing to contribute towards a partial reconstruction of the shell and earlier this year turned down a request for £940,000 to pay for a full restoration.

Ms Campbell told a BBC documentary: "I can have her encased in concrete and put it back in the lake, or we put it on eBay and sell it to the highest bidder.

"It will not go on public display as it is, I will not allow it.

""I want her to look shiny, bright, engineering perfect.

"I want the young people from all over the world to be able to come and view her in the museum, in Coniston where she can be displayed as she should be so she can show what she achieved, what my father achieved and what British engineering achieved.

Lose history

"That's my dream and I won't settle for anything less."

But Tony Jones, of the HLF, said a full rebuild would lose the boat's history.

He said: "We don't think people want to see a replica-like Bluebird they want to see the original that Donald Campbell had his triumphs and tragedy in."

Ms Campbell is interviewed on Inside Out on BBC1 on Monday at 7.30pm.