Engineering students will soon have cars and motorbikes to work on as part of a £4million college expansion.

South Thames College is in the process of building a state-of-the-art Engineering and Construction Centre on its Merton campus, due to welcome its first intake in September.

The facility will be staffed by current teachers so although there will be no local jobs created, the investment will allow the college to expand and improve the facilities and increase the courses available.

Among the new facilities will be 3D printers, laser cutters and specialist modelling software, purpose-built musical instrument making and repair workshops, and a car workshop.

New courses, including the BTEC national qualifications, will run in the new centre from September this year, and the college said it will help young people and adults gain the skills they need to find work, join a qualified trade or move on to higher education.

As the college is now a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) testing centre, graduates can leave with the vital paperwork allowing them to work on-site.

Sanaa Al-Ameri, who is studying Engineering Level 1, said: "I’m excited to be able to work in the new space and feel really lucky that we’ll have even better facilities available to us.

"I’m planning to move on to a Level 2 and then a Level 3 course and would recommend South Thames to anyone.

"My friends at other colleges always ask what it’s like and I say great – really supportive and importantly, I feel it’s equipping me with the skills and techniques I need to work as an engineer in the future."

Work on the centre in London Road, Morden, began in November last year and is expected to be completed in September.