DAVE'S GREAT ESCAPE

Dave Billings' Second World War-style bunker connecting his house via a 35ft-long tunnel

- By EMILY SMITH

A DERBYSHIRE dad who spent £50,000 building an underground bunker in his back garden is now planning to spend another £10,000 to upgrade it in case World War Three breaks out.

Dave Billings, 44, began the project at his Ashbourne home more than a decade ago after being inspired by the iconic film the Great Escape. But with tensions rising in the Middle East, he has decided to prep the shelter to become a “survival place” although warned it won't be “nuclear-proof”.

Dad-of-one Dave, who lives with wife Beth and seven-year-old son Oliver, said the goal is to have a secure underground space for his family if things take a turn for the worse.

He said: “With the way things are changing, I’m prepping it to be more of a survival place. It won't necessarily be nuclear-proof, but if you need to hide away, you'll be able to survive.”

Dave, an engineer and content creator, estimates he’s so far spent around £50,000 on the bunker, which started as a disused well.