Surbiton's iconic Harrier jump jet to be taken away this afternoon

After ten years as Surbiton air cadets' pride and joy, a Falklands-era Harrier jump jet will leave the borough where it was built for what is likely to be the last time.

The Harrier, built in Kingston's Hawker factory and posted to Port Stanley after the 1982 conflict, has been bought by Yorkshire-based restorers Jet Art Aviation (JAA).

It was winched into the cadets' Tolworth headquarters in 2005, but last summer the Ministry of Defence said it would be sold due to health and safety fears. The iconic aircraft is to be driven away this afternoon.

The Ministry of Defence described the jet's condition when it put it up for sale last autumn. JAA's other projects have included several Tornado jets and a rare German F-104 Starfighter - a Lockheed-built supersonic interceptor introduced in the late 1950s. The company brought a team of five, plus a lorry driver and winch operator, to remove XZ-130 from Tolworth.

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