WORK has begun on a multi-million pound transformation of a historic Hampshire fort.

The diggers were rolled in as Fort Nelson in Fareham prepares itself for radical refurbishment that will turn it into a state-of-the-art tourist attraction.

Youngster from Northern Junior School in Portchester marked the official ground-breaking ceremony by burying a time capsule summing up the spirit of Hampshire in 2010.

The £3.5m project will see the construction of a breathtaking new glass-fronted Voice of the Guns gallery and a “classroom of the future” at the Royal Armouries Museum. The Fort will remain open throughout the building phase, with a full programme of events for the summer holidays. The project, which started with ground clearance in the spring, is due to be completed by May 2011.