DEEP beneath the streets of Shanklin, a laser-controlled tunnelling machine is hard at work.

The machine, named Marthur, is caving out a giant underground tank to store storm water as part of a £4 million Southern Water project to make bathing water cleaner at the beach.

The machine is burrowing at a rate of ten metres per day beneath St Boniface Cliff Road and the wider area.

As previously reported, the massive tank will be able to hold up to 750,000 litres.