The digger rolled off the production line in 1963 and cost £2,500 at the time.

The JCB 3 was discovered rotting in a field in Kent, but was restored back to the condition it was in when it was first manufactured in JCB’s World HQ in Rocester more than 50 years ago.

JCB employee Julian Carder said when he started working on the machine, it was in “a pretty poor state, rusty and leaking oil through lack of care, so it took about 10 months of evenings and weekends at a friend's workshop to bring it back to life".

Authentic

All together, the restoration took about 1,400 hours. Julian added that in the process they tried to keep as much of the original digger as possible.

“The carcase of the cab is original but totally rebuilt. We even had to get some parts specially made because you can't get them anymore. Every last detail was researched to keep it authentic.”

Floats representing all 32 counties of Ireland will make their way through London for the parade, which will be attended by over a quarter of million people.