Disused railway tunnels under Lord's cricket ground are set to be converted into London's first underground hospital, the Standard can reveal today.

The Wellington Hospital is in talks with the MCC to create a £100 million subterranean care centre.

The Victorian tunnels - which are the size of car parks and used to store Metropolitan and Jubilee line trains - would house a suite of operating theatres, intensive care facilities and hi-tech scanning equipment three storeys down.

They would be part of the existing hospital, which is already Europe's largest private healthcare facility.

Plans are also being drawn up to build a world-class sports medical centre as part of a £200 million redevelopment of Lord's.

The Wellington is in discussions with the Rifkind Levy Partnership, which leases the tunnels from Network Rail, and the MCC, which owns the top 18 inches of ground.

Wellington chief executive Keith Hague said: "The kind of space we have available here is unheard of in central London."

Other proposals for the tunnels include an entertainment complex and a Lord's cricket academy.

• 

  Lenny Henry: 'Maybe one day we can have a black Doctor Who'

  As he wins the outstanding newcomer prize at the Evening Standard theatre awards for his role as Othello, Lenny Henry has come a long way from black and white minstrels

  ---

• 

  Spread of the Jedhead

  Jedward, voted off the X-Factor this weekend, are the most obvious proponents of the sticky-uppy look - but the style crosses boundaries of age, gender, sexuality and taste, says Nick Curtis

  ---

Sky in plot to hire students on the cheap

Sky News is currently recruiting students as reporters for its coverage of next year's general election. However, the opportunity doesn't quite seem so appealing

All stories