Antarctic engineers p-p-p-pick up a new team member

An engineer working thousands of miles from home in Antarctica has befriended one of the locals – and has named his new penguin pal Collin.

Alan Cox, who works for engineering firm BAM Nuttall, has travelled about 10,200 miles (about 16,400km) from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, to work on a construction project for the British Antarctic Survey.

It involves a new building for Rothera Research Station and resurfacing its runway.

But keeping Mr Cox just as busy is a playful gentoo penguin, who insists on trying to sit in the bucket of a 50-tonne (50,000kg) excavator.

Speaking on BBC Radio Lincolnshire from Antarctica, Mr Cox said he had seen lots of wildlife, including seals, orcas and humpback wales.

He said he had also seen an iceberg "about the size of Lincoln Cathedral" break off the coast.

But it is Collin who has stolen the show.

"He was a particular type of penguin who seemed to think the 50-tonne excavator we had here was either his parent or some sort of friend of his," Mr Cox said.

"It was very difficult to keep him away from the machine.

"Collin was insistent on trying to sit in the bucket of the excavator and get really close to the machine."

Mr Cox, who is managing director of regions and transport for BAM Nuttall, added: "There's been some fantastic wildlife and the whole setting is absolutely incredible.

"Just the vastness, serenity of it, peacefulness and massive icebergs moving around, which just go where nature intends - it's an extraordinary sight."

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