THE world's last flying Vulcan will not appear at airshow Fly to the Past this Sunday.

The XH558 was due to perform a flyover during the finale of the show, at Oxford Airport, but it has been grounded by a fuel leak.

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST), the charity which operates the plane, is unsure what caused the fuel leak.

VTST Engineering Director Andrew Edmondson said: “The leak is now being investigated to establish the cause and extent of the problem, and the necessary repair will need to be carried out before she will be able to fly again.

“We have every confidence that the problem is temporary, and we are working with the manufacturer of the fuel tank with the aim of completing the repair as soon as practically possible.”

“It is a great shame that the Vulcan has to miss these upcoming airshows, and for this we are truly sorry, because we know how very popular XH558 is with the public and that many people will be disappointed by this news.”

But he said the Vulcan was only ever flown if fully serviceable, adding that there was “no room whatsoever for any compromise on this”.