A pub landlord from Dukinfield, Cheshire has secured Avro Vulcan XL391 with a winning bid of £15,102.03. Christopher Ollerenshaw will display the beast outside the Snipe Inn after winning the eBay auction (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2979&item=5530699633&rd=1) for the Cold War relic.

XL391 has spent the last 20 years or so gradually rotting away at Blackpool airport. Former owner Brian Bateson paid £6,000 for it after decommissioning in 1982, although at one point the eBay bidding frenzy reached £7m before the online auction site intervened to put an end to the madness.

Ollerenshaw told the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/3990867.stm): "I'm not really sure why I bid for it, we've been to Blackpool so many times and passed it," before admitting: "I'm scared stiff of flying; perhaps it is as well it is staying on the ground." His wife Bev offered: "It's barmy, I can't believe he's done it." ®

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For sale: Vulcan bomber, one belligerent owner (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/01/vulcan_for_sale/)
eBay paper Vulcan hits £1m (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/05/ebay_paper_vulcan/)