SWANAGE lifeboat station, which is currently undergoing a complete £3.5million rebuild, has celebrated its 140th birthday.

The original station opened on September 16, 1875, at the cost of just £525 and £389 for the lifeboat.

Today the site has become one of the RNLI's largest ongoing construction projects, designed to house the latest £1.5 million jet-propelled Shannon Class lifeboat.

Swanage lifeboat operations manager Neil Hardy said: "My ancestors helped lay the first bricks for the Swanage RNLI boathouse 140 years ago, so you could say I've inherited it.

"To see the new station begin to evolve is fantastic and I feel proud to be part of such an historic occasion."

The station was first established at the request of local residents, as a result of the wreck of the brig Wild Wave on January 23, 1875.

Over the past 140 years Swanage lifeboats have launched 2,472 times, carried out 1,871 rescues and saved 752 lives.

The new station, boasting improved crew facilities, a larger slipway, fully-equipped training room, mechanics workshop and office space, is scheduled to be operational by 2016.

Mr Hardy said: "There has been a huge amount of work going on and the building is now finally starting to take shape as the above ground structure becomes more visible.

"Most of the work already undertaken has been underground to stabilise the area in order to provide solid foundations for the new station and slipway, as well as enhancing the supporting wall at the rear of the site that adjoins residential gardens.

"Stone reclaimed from the old boathouse is being laid for the lower part of what will be the external wall of Angling Club.

"Reinforcing mesh has been laid in preparation for the floor of the inshore lifeboat hall."