It has been a local landmark for more than two decades - but Blackpool's Vulcan Bomber was due to be in pieces by the end of Thursday.

The bomber's owner, Brian Bateson said a deal had been concluded with Cheshire firm, Sandbach Car and Commercial Dismantlers, which was due to move its equipment in today.

Bosses at the scrap firm said they were going to destroy the plane, keeping just a small number of parts to sell off to collectors. The cockpit may be put on internet auction website, e-bay while a buyer may also be found for the plane's engine.

Alistair Boote of Sandbach Can and Commercial Dismantlers said: "We have a very special shear which cost £40,000 and will make mincemeat of the plane. It will only take a couple of hours to cut it into sections and we have a fleet of articulated lorries to take the pieces away. We probably wouldn't be able to do it if we didn't have the shear.

"It will get recycled back into aluminium and it could come back as pots and pans and anything else that can be made of aluminium.

"We first became aware of the plane when it was put on e-bay but it went for a large amount of money but we remained interested and stayed in touch."

Blackpool Air School boss Mr Bateson, said: "When it does go the land will go back to what it was before - parking for the members."

The plane first hit the headlines in October 2004 when Mr Bateson advertised it for sale on e-bay. The eventual winner of the auction was Chris Ollerenshaw, a pub landlord from Manchester, but his proposal to move the plane to his pub's beer garden fell through and he returned the plane to Mr Bateson's ownership last year.