Gatwick: Campaign to save historic plane runs out of time

Campaigners who wanted to save a disused airliner said they are "gutted" they could not raise the funds in time.

The Handley Page Dart Herald was on a perimeter field at Gatwick Airport, after being displayed at the South Terminal for a decade.

The land is wanted for expansion and campaigners needed £60,000 by October to relocate the plane.

Less than half the amount had been raised when the deadline passed.

"Time's run out" said Duncan Halford, Chairman of UK Heritage Aviation Trust.

"We tried and tried very hard, we haven't been able to raise the funds in time and so we've had to accept defeat.

"We're very disappointed, we had the extraction plan which wasn't easy to get. It is going to be a very bitter pill to swallow."

The aircraft, one of only 50 built, has not flown since 1994, and was on display until 2003, before being moved to its current location.

The UK Heritage Aviation Trust had hoped to move it to Sellindge, near Ashford, Kent, to restore it.

Clive Grievson flew her during his career as a commercial pilot, and said he was "gutted".

"If we lose it, we've lost it forever. It's just another nail in the coffin of aviation heritage.

"It's the last Herald that is complete. Three others are in museums and the others are static aircraft.

"What we were hoping to do was restore her so we could get the engines running and people could see what it was like, and go inside and experience it.

"She'll never fly again, that would cost too much, but to restore her to ground running would have been something that we could ultimately have achieved had we managed to get her out of Gatwick in time."

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