A Portland businessman has snapped up a military bunker on the island for a bargain £142,000.

The underground chamber was bought at auction by pub landlord Gary Nash, who owns the Royal Portland Arms in Fortuneswell.

Mr Nash fought off stiff competition during the auction to successfully bid for the massive bunker, which is based on former Ministry of Defence (MoD) land close to The Verne prison on Portland.

And Mr Nash, who has owned his pub for the last 12 months, is now hoping that he will be able to use the underground base and the land surrounding it to attract tourists to the area.

He said: "I have had my eye on the bunker and land for the last two years when this chance came up to buy it.

"It will be up to the council to decide on what I can eventually do with the property but I'd like to use it to help put money back into the island.

"It has been sitting up there empty for too long."

He added: "Whatever happens it will be a big challenge for me but I could see it as a camp site or turned into accommodation for visitors as there is not enough accommodation for tourists on Portland."

More than 60 people flocked to the auction held at the Hotel Prince Regent in Weymouth to place their bids for the impressive bunker as well as those who were interested in finding out who was going to buy it.

Over the last month, a war of words has erupted over the history of the underground chamber, which is 70 feet below ground.

Defence Estates maintain that the bunker was used by the US Army while it planned the D-Day landings, but historians have said that was impossible as it was built between 1950 and 1951.

But despite the controversy Tim Wright, of Palmer Snell estate agents, who ran the auction on behalf of Defence Estates, said: "We are really happy with the way the auction went.

"There was a lot of interest in the bunker and it is great that it is someone from Portland who has bought it."

And Ruth Allen, from Defence Estates, added: "We had no idea how much the bunker would go for and we are very pleased with the result of the auction."

The bunker, which was damaged by fire over 10 years ago and has been left empty for years, is part of a property that is set in 12.59 acres of land and includes two buildings, a telecommunications mast site, a disused reservoir and various small buildings.

Historians have said that it was built in the 1950s as part of the UK's Air Defence System known by the code name ROTOR 1 and was used as a Royal Air Force and MoD radar station.