After ten years as Surbiton air cadets' pride and joy, a Falklands-era Harrier jump jet has left 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, tail number XZ-130, was driven away this afternoon. It will be put up for sale after restoration.

JAA managing director Chris Wilson said: "We've got a passion for Harriers. It's a British icon of British engineering at its best.

"It's a prime example of when British ingenuity was leading the world. It's an air show favourite.

"It will be totally transformed - we will basically restore it to its former glory."

Surrey Comet:

The Harrier, seen yesterday in its accustomed spot

Mr Wilson, a former air cadet and RAF airframe technician, added: "I see if from the cadets' point of view, and myself and my team are very sympathetic to what they're feeling right now.

"More and more people are investing in rare aircraft and cars, and then they put them on display. That would be the ultimate for us, if it did end up on public display somewhere."

The Ministry of Defence described the jet's condition when it put it up for sale last year.

It said: "The airframe is old and shows some signs of weather-induced wear.

"Although the structure of the aircraft doesn’t present an immediate health and safety hazard, the full structural integrity of the airframe is not known.

"The engine may contain residual radioactive materials."

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 the cadets' Tolworth base.