Peace has been declared in a battle over an aviation museum's historic aircraft.

Veteran pilots feared their prize replica Spitfire would be moved to make way for a car park.

They have now been told it can stay after bosses at Shoreham airport negotiated a peace treaty.

The former airmen who run the D-Day Aviation Museum at Shoreham had launched a campaign to keep the Spitfire next to the museum.

They were offered an olive branch by airport manager John Haffenden at the 11th hour.

He told them the Spitfire could stay where it was and the car park would be built around it.

A meeting was called after the veterans were told they would have to stop using land opposite the museum as a car park.

They were told the site was needed for offices to provide larger premises for one of the airport's expanding businesses.

Museum manager Tom Farrant said he was told the Spitfire would be moved to take pride of place at the front of the airport terminal building.

The space it currently occupies behind the museum's original Second World War blister hangar would be converted into a car park for its visitors to use.

Mr Farrant said hundreds of veterans, including RAF pilots who took part in the Allied D-Day landings, visit the museum from all over the world every year.

He said many were disabled and would find it difficult to get from the proposed car park behind the building to its entrance at the front.

A meeting was organised between Mr Haffenden, the veterans and East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton in a bid to find a solution.

Mr Haffenden said: "We now have peace in our time. We have reached an agreement with the museum.

"We will provide a new car park at the back of the museum and the Spitfire will be part of that.

"We have also said they can use the car parks of neighbouring businesses, which do not work at weekends when the museum is open.

"They will also be able to use adjacent land for coaches bringing disabled visitors to the museum."

Mr Loughton said: "I am pleased common sense has prevailed and an agreement has been reached.

"It will give this valuable piece of local heritage improved facilities for the elderly and disabled veterans who visit the museum.

"Mr Haffenden has gone out of his way to ensure the Spitfire can remain where it is."