Corporal Jones’ van, which featured in the classic BBC sitcom, recently needed more than £10,000 of repairs after structural issues were found during a routine service.

The 1935 Ford BB box van, owned by Lance Corporal Jones in the show and now based at the Dad’s Army Museum in Thetford, was made roadworthy thanks to the repairs, but the cost has drained the museum’s reserves.

Don't Panic! - The Dad's Army Museum is fundraising after Corporal Jones' butcher's van was hit with a £10.000 repair bill. // The 91-year-old van featured in the hit comedy depicting the hapless Home Guard volunteers during WWII. It was owned by Lance-Corporal Jones during the show which ran from 1968 and now lives at The Dad's Army Museum. Jones was famous for his catchphrase 'Don't Panic!'.The van lives at the Dad’s Army Museum in Thetford (Image: Dad’s Army Museum / SWNS)

Museum chairman Stuart Wright, 61, said: “We don’t want a static vehicle stuck in a museum.

“We want to get out and share the love with the public – we are guardians of a national treasure.”

The volunteer-run museum is now appealing for donations to cover the repair costs and keep the vehicle on the road.

Mr Wright said: “The service looked at it stringently and found issues with the van’s structural integrity.

“The parts had to all be made as she’s 91 years old.

Don't Panic! - The Dad's Army Museum is fundraising after Corporal Jones' butcher's van was hit with a £10.000 repair bill. // The 91-year-old van featured in the hit comedy depicting the hapless Home Guard volunteers during WWII. It was owned by Lance-Corporal Jones during the show which ran from 1968 and now lives at The Dad's Army Museum. Jones was famous for his catchphrase 'Don't Panic!'.Much of the sitcom was filmed in Thetford (Image: Dad’s Army Museum / SWNS)

“It cost a lot of money in terms of time and materials.

“We normally allow between £1,000 to £2,000 for repairs.

“This year it was a bitter pill to swallow but a necessary evil.”

The museum purchased the van in 2012 for £63,100.

In 2016, it appeared in the Dad’s Army film.

Don't Panic! - The Dad's Army Museum is fundraising after Corporal Jones' butcher's van was hit with a £10.000 repair bill. // The 91-year-old van featured in the hit comedy depicting the hapless Home Guard volunteers during WWII. It was owned by Lance-Corporal Jones during the show which ran from 1968 and now lives at The Dad's Army Museum. Jones was famous for his catchphrase 'Don't Panic!'.The museum is run by volunteers (Image: Dad’s Army Museum / SWNS)

Repairs included new wheel bearings, steering linkage and attention to a fuel leak.

The rear axle clamps had also eroded from the bodywork.

The Dad’s Army Museum opened in 2007.

It was launched after years of volunteer-led walking tours around Thetford, where much of the show was filmed, and now attracts 10,000 visitors a year.

Donations can be made via the GoFundMe page.