Like many other small boys Alan James’s childhood passion was to build aircraft models, inspired in his case by the ones he watched take off and land at the RAF base near his home in Reading.

As a grown-up, he’s gone one better – and built a Spitfire plane in his garage.

However, it took more than just a few bits of plastic and some glue to put together this version of the fighter plane which did so much to save Britain from German invasion during World War Two.

Mr James was forced to search across Europe and even the United States for the specialist parts and materials required to complete his project.

But now, many hours and £18,000 later, he has fulfilled his dream, taking to the skies over England in his home-built Spitfire.