A Sussex museum has given up its claim to the wreck of Donald Campbell's ill-fated speedboat, Bluebird.

The widow of the late speedboat ace has claimed victory in a six-month legal dispute over the ownership of the boat.

Paul Foulkes-Halbard, a former business associate of Campbell and owner of Filching Manor Motor Museum in Polegate, had claimed he acquired ownership of the boat in the course of business dealings.

But a consent order lodged at the High Court in London yesterday declared Tonia Bern-Campbell and the executors of Campbell's will as the rightful owners.

Mr Foulkes-Halbard, who has some 7,000 items of Campbell memorabilia at the museum, confirmed he had relinquished his claim to the boat.

It is the family's intention that the boat will be displayed at the Ruskin Museum in Coniston, which will now have to be extended to accommodate it.

Campbell's remains were found in May this year, 34 years after his water speed record attempt on Coniston Water ended in tragedy.

His body is due to be buried at Coniston on September 12.

The 46-year-old had been trying to break his own water speed record of 276 mph on January 4, 1967, when the nose of the boat lifted and the craft somersaulted repeatedly.

His remains were discovered by the same diving team which recovered the vessel.

Rowena Herdman-Smith, the Campbell family's solicitor, said: "This dispute was an emotional one for the Campbell family - after all, it related to the vessel in which Donald Campbell made his name but also came to his untimely death."