RAF Marham's historic aircraft offered free for restoration to be scrapped

The last Victor bomber plane to see active service with the RAF will be scrapped despite it being offered for free to anyone who could restore it.

Surveys showed that the Cold War-era aircraft, positioned at the main entrance to RAF Marham in Norfolk as its "gate guardian", was "suffering from structural weaknesses".

The base said the cost of the repairs was greater than its budget for gate guardian maintenance.

The base offered the Victor bomber for free to anyone with the cash to restore it.

In a statement on its website, RAF Marham said: "Unfortunately, no-one has come forward who has the capability to remove and restore her so the difficult decision has been made to dispose of her.

"Whilst RAF Marham will be sad to dispose of an aircraft that played an important role in the heritage of the station, we are reassured that there is a Victor in the skilled and professional care of the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford and the Imperial War Museum collection at Duxford.

"We are reassured that the story of the Victor fleet and those who flew and supported it is preserved for perpetuity for the nation and the national collection."

The base is offering the opportunity for "a small number of people" to see the Victor for the last time on October 10 and is running an application process for places.

It said preference would be given to people with a link to the Victor, including those who worked on Victors or were relatives of a previous crew.

V bombers - Victors, Valiants and Vulcans - were part of the UK's nuclear deterrent until 1969.

Some became aerial refuelling tankers, and this was the last one to be operated by the RAF.