A Second World War plane shot down off the Kent coast more than 70 years ago has been to shore at Ramsgate after it was lifted from the sea bed yesterday.

Rare German bomber the Dornier 17 was finally winched from the Goodwin Sands, near Deal, last night after several failed attempts because of bad weather.

The aircraft was brought back into the Port of Ramsgate just before 5pm.

It will now be sent for conservation in the West Midlands, where it is expected to be sprayed with citric acid to protect it from the elements, before going on display at the RAF Museum in London.

The historic aircraft was finally lifted from the bottom of the English Channel at around 6.30pm in what was described as "a textbook drama".

It followed a failed attempt earlier yesterday when a tangled line around the propeller threatened to scupper the £600,000 salvage operation.

It was thought the rescue would be aborted for the rest of the day - with fears the operation, masterminded by the RAF Museum, could be called off altogether as summer tides were set to change permanently.

Video: Behind-the-scenes in the Dornier salvage operation

The Dornier Do-17 aircraft was shot down off the Kent coast more than 70 years ago during the Battle of Britain.

It is believed to be the only intact example of its kind in the world.

RAF Museum spokesman Ajay Srivastava said everyone was "absolutely delighted" with the success of the project.

The first attempt to bring the fragile plane up, last Sunday, was aborted because of high winds.

The project has been blighted by bad luck, owing largely to bad weather.

The preferred method of resurfacing - building a protective frame around the structure - was abandoned when divers discovered the plane was lying on a bed of chalk.