The man who keeps a Harrier Jump Jet in his garden: Builder spends six years and £10,000 restoring Falklands plane he bought on eBay (without telling his wife first) Neil Banwell, 45, has spent six years repairing the Sea Harrier His plane dropped cluster bombs during the 1982 Falklands War £250,000 Pegasus engine and computer have been removed from the plane But Neil says it could fly again if thousands are spent upgrading it Government decommissioned the last Sea Harrier planes in 2006 When it comes to middle-aged men and their pet projects, a Harley-Davidson or even a lawnmower will normally suffice. But not for builder Neil Banwell who has spent the last six years repairing a Falklands Sea Harrier he secretly bought on eBay without telling his wife. The 45-year-old paid £10,000 for the iconic fighter plane which dropped cluster bombs during the conflict with Argentina in 1982. Pet project: Neil Banwell, 45, stands in the cockpit of his Harrier Jump Jet which dropped cluster bombs on Port Stanley airfield during the 1982 Falklands War. The plane also saw action during the Bosnia war before it was retired - and bought by Mr Banwell on eBay for £10,000 in 2007 Secret project: Neil Banwell bought the plane on eBay without telling his wife Jo. He said she was 'shocked' at the time - but has now grown to love it Caravan park jump jet: The Sea Harrier XZ494 is kept in a hangar at the campsite Neil runs with his wife in Wedmore, Somerset, and it is popular with visitors He now estimates the jet he bought in 2007 is worth up to ten times what he paid for it but he does not want to part with it. Mr Banwell said his wife Jo, 49, was livid when she found out he had bought the plane without telling her. First of all she was a bit shocked and said "what have you done?." Now she has grown to love it,' he said. It was a spur of the moment thing but hopefully it has been a good investment. He added: 'I saw the Harrier advertised on eBay. I'd never been on the site before but me and my daughter put a bid on it and actually won it the same day. Restoration: Neil Banwell has spent hours sourcing and replacing missing parts on the plane which were missing when he took delivery of it in 2007 Air force: The Harrier Jump Jet, which can no longer fly because the engine has been removed, used to be capable of going from 735mph to hovering in the air The Sea Harrier FRS1 played a key role in winning the Falklands War under Margaret Thatcher in 1982. In total, 28 of the £35million planes saw action in the conflict and they shot down 20 enemy planes. None of them were lost in action on the frontline, although six were destroyed in accidents and ground fires. The planes are pictured above on board HMS Hermes during the Falklands War. A second upgraded Sea Harrier plane - the FA2 - was manufactured from 1993. The planes, which were introduced in 1978, subsequently saw action in the Bosnia War between 1992 and 1995. They were deployed again in 1999 in Yugoslavia and in Sierra Leone in 2000. However, the Labour government announced the planes would be phased out in 2002 - and the last one was decommissioned in 2006. The plane was also sold to the Indian Navy - and they still use a number of the planes. 'When I first got it, I used to spend quite a bit of time sitting in it and playing with all the buttons and levers but I don't seem to have as much time now.' The 43ft Sea Harrier ZX494 came with two 30mm cannons and the original ejector seat. However, the explosive charge was removed from the seat to stop the Neil from accidentally being fired from the cockpit. The £250,000 Pegasus engine and computer system were removed because of flying restrictions in the UK. Neil said it could be made airworthy again at the cost of "hundreds of thousands of pounds." When it arrived from the Suffolk-based dealer he discovered it was also missing many parts on its exterior as well as the full tanks, the nozzle on its stencils. He scoured eBay and phoned specialist dealers searching for the missing parts. He also spent hours bringing its general condition up to scratch in a hangar at the back of the campsite he and his teacher wife run in Wedmore, Somerset. The fighter jet, which was capable of hovering after slowing from speeds of up to 735mph, has become a big draw for campers. This is in part thanks to its action-packed war history. The fighter was built in 1980 at a cost of £35 million and taken for its first flight by a John Farley. It was then housed at 899 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton. When the Falklands War broke out it was transported to the south Atlantic onboard HMS Hermes, setting off from Plymouth in early April, 1982. The fighter flew its first combat mission on May 1, 1982 when it was piloted by Black Leader Lt Cmdr Andy Auld during a a raid on Port Stanley airfield. According to the mission log it dropped three cluster bombs on "airfield facilities, parked aircraft and other targets of opportunity." Cluster munition is now banned by 83 nations around the world. During the conflict, Sea Harrier XZ494 was one of 28 Sea Harriers that flew a combined 1,435 operational missions and shot down 20 enemy aircraft and probably three others. It later flew missions during the Bosnia War from 1992-1995. The Royal Navy's last British Aerospace Sea Harrier fighters were retired on March 28, 2006. Neil, who grew up in Somerset, near RNAS, Yeovilton, said: 'I love Harriers because I grew up in this area and they used to fly over all the time. Rundown: The damaged old Sea Harrier XZ494 as it appeared when it was purchased by Neil Banwell in 2007 Jump jet... with a step ladder: Neil, 45, sits in the cockpit of the plane which he has spent six years restoring after buying it on eBay for £10,000 Decommissioned fighter: The explosive charge was removed from the seat to stop the Neil from accidentally being fired from the cockpit Run down: The last Sea Harrier was decommissioned in 2006 - and Neil bought this plane online a year later New home: Neil keeps the plane in this shed on his campsite in Wedmore, Somerset, and drags it out using his JCB I was also really young when the Falklands War broke out and I used to watch on the Harriers on TV going off on the carriers everyday. The Falkland history has also made the planes highly sought-after and Neil claims one was sold for more than £70,000 earlier this year. 'Hopefully I have made quite a bit of money on it - if I ever came to sell it, which I don't think I will,' said Neil, who has three grown-up daughters aged 25, 21 and 20. 'Earlier this year we did have an American chap who owns a museum who was interested in buying it but I didn't really want to sell. 'I was open to offers but it didn't come to anything in the end. So it is going to stay here for a bit longer yet. If the right offer came along I probably would sell it - but it would have to be really good money. Flying again? Neil claims the Sea Harrier could be repaired so it can take to the skies again - although the £250,000 engine has been removed Rear view: The Sea Harrier XZ494 which saw action in the 1982 Falklands War and again during the Bosnia conflict in the early 1990s In action: Neil Banwell's Sea Harrier XZ494 is seen (front) in the air with two of the same planes Before retirement: Neil's Sea Harrier is seen flying over Dorset before it was put into retirement in 2005 War mission: A pilot flies the Sea Harrier XZ494 which Neil Banwell bought on eBay in 2007 and now keeps in a hangar on his campsite