London students are looking forward to a bigger dinner hall after work got under way on a new £6.5m college build.

A traditional ground-breaking ceremony at Uxbridge College marked the start of construction on the building that will also be home to engineering workshops.

It will also add two floors of classrooms and staffrooms for health and social care.

Uxbridge College principal Laraine Smith OBE said: “It is really exciting to be adding more state-of-the-art facilities to the Uxbridge College estate, which we are continually developing to meet the ever-changing needs of education and training.

“This project is particularly important because it responds to the increasing need for engineering training, which has recently seen us split this expanding department into two separate areas.”

The work is part of the college’s ongoing plans to update facilities and follows a £6m sports hall and outdoor games area, and a £5m media block. Work on the latest development is taking place during the academic year with the new facilities due to be ready in the autumn.

The cost of the work is being met from college reserves.