BUDDING Indiana Jones-types have been getting their hands dirty delving into Stourport's past at a dig in the town this week.

British Waterways has been offering the public the chance to take part in the archaeological excavations in the Stourport canal basin.

Worcestershire County Council's experts from the historic environment and archaeology service have been leading the exercise, with a total of 40 budding archaeologists taking part.

The project aims to find out more about one of the country towns that owes its origins to the canal age and is the initial stage of a £3.2m restoration scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, British Waterways and other partners.

Among the discoveries made so far are a Georgian-era garden wall outside the Tontine Hotel, the footprint of the toll house and a brick tunnel leading from the basin office.

British Waterways project manager Alexandra Ball said: "Stourport is a very interesting town and the area around the basin has remained relatively undisturbed for 200 years.

"They've found even more than we expected, so it's obviously incredibly exciting in terms of the history of the site."